Press freedom predator is an anti-award distributed every few years by Reporters Without Borders.[1] It is attributed to heads of state or groups who are deemed to have a negative effect on press freedom.[2]
Recipients often vehemently deny that they deserve their place on the list.[3] In 2020, Reporters Without Borders also released a list of 20 press freedom's digital predators.[4]
2025
editIn November 2025, the list of press freedom predators published by Reporters Without Borders includes:[5]
| Image | Name | Country | Role |
|---|---|---|---|
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Adani Group |  India |
Multinational conglomerate |
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Alden Global Capital |  United States |
Hedge fund / media owner |
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Aleksandar Vučić |  Serbia |
President of Serbia (2017–present) |
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Alexander Lukashenko |  Belarus |
President of Belarus (1994–present) |
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Ali Khamenei |  Iran |
Supreme Leader of Iran (1989–2026) |
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Alphabet Inc. | United States |
Technology company |
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Bidzina Ivanishvili |  Georgia France |
Businessman, Prime Minister of Georgia (2012-2013) |
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Brendan Carr | United States |
Chair of the Federal Communications Commission (2025–present) |
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Chinese Communist Party |  China |
Ruling political party |
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Daniel Ortega |  Nicaragua |
President of Nicaragua (2007–present) |
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Elon Musk | United States |
Businessman, CEO of X/Tesla/SpaceX |
| Foundation Against Terrorism |  Guatemala |
Political/legal organization | |
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Haibatullah Akhundzada |  Afghanistan |
Supreme Leader of Afghanistan (2021–present) |
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HonestReporting |  Israel |
Media watchdog organization |
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Ilham Aliyev |  Azerbaijan |
President of Azerbaijan (2003–present) |
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Israel Defense Forces | Israel |
Military of Israel |
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Jalisco New Generation Cartel |  Mexico |
Criminal organization |
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Javier Milei |  Argentina |
President of Argentina (2023–present) |
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John Lee Ka-chiu |  Hong Kong( China) |
Chief Executive of Hong Kong (2022–present) |
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Margarita Simonyan |  Russia |
Editor-in-chief of Russia Today |
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Meta Platforms | United States |
Technology company |
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Mohammed bin Salman |  Saudi Arabia |
Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia (2017-present) |
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Nicolás Maduro |  Venezuela |
President of Venezuela (2013–2026) |
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OpIndia | India |
Far-right news and media website |
| Patriotic Movement for Safeguard and Restoration |  Burkina Faso |
Ruling military government (2022-present) | |
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Recep Tayyip Erdoğan |  Turkey |
President of Turkey (2014–present) |
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Robert Fico |  Slovakia |
Prime Minister of Slovakia (2006–2010, 2012–2018, 2023–present) |
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Roskomnadzor | Russia |
Federal media regulator |
| Seng Heang |  Cambodia |
Prosecutor / government official | |
(b).jpg) SSPC ChairmanMin Aung Hlaing pictured in report[6] |
State Security and Peace Commission (SSPC)[a] |  Myanmar |
Advisory election coordination body (2025–2026) to Min Aung Hlaing, Myanmar's military ruler from 2021[7]
Min Aung Hlaing was the country's sole military ruler starting in 2021. RWB and some analysts such as the Stimson Center considered the SSPC to be the principal organ of Min Aung Hlaing's control from 2025–2026,[8] though he was the sole decision-maker from 2021 regardless of cosmetic structural changes. During the SSPC period, he governed as the acting president of Myanmar by chairing the National Defence and Security Council, through which he took all binding government actions, including the formation of the SSPC itself.[9][10] Min Aung Hlaing was named personally as the predator in § 2021, and, although RWB chose to name the SSPC, one of his administrative bodies, as the predator in 2025 instead, Min Aung Hlaing's personal control over the government strengthened greatly in the years following his designation in 2021.[11] His State Administration Council from 2021–2025 had nominal governing powers, despite being under his full control; the SSPC lacked even nominal governing power and its labeled purpose was "coordination" of the 2025–26 Myanmar general election, with laws continuing to be passed through the NDSC.[9][7] |
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Vincent Bolloré | France |
Businessman, media owner |
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Viktor Orbán |  Hungary |
Prime Minister of Hungary (2010–2026) |
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Vladimir Putin | Russia |
President of Russia (2012–present) Prime Minister of Russia (2008–2012) |
| Vladimir Tabak | Russia |
Government communications official and ally of Vladimir Putin | |
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William Ruto |  Kenya |
President of Kenya (2022–present) |
2021
editIn July 2021, the list of press freedom predators published by Reporters Without Borders includes:[12][13]
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2016
editIn October 2016, the list of press freedom predators published by Reporters Without Borders includes:[14]
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2013
editIn May 2013, the list of press freedom predators published by Reporters Without Borders includes:[15]
Africa
edit| Image | Name | Country | Role |
|---|---|---|---|
 |
Al-Shabaab |  Somalia |
Islamic insurgence group active in East Africa |
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Boko Haram |  Nigeria |
An Islamic terrorist organization based in northeastern Nigeria |
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Hizbul Islam | Somalia |
Somali Islamist group |
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Isaias Afwerki |  Eritrea |
President of Eritrea (1993–present) |
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Mswati III |  Eswatini |
King of Eswatini (1986–present) |
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Paul Kagame |  Rwanda |
President of Rwanda (2000–present) |
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Robert Mugabe |  Zimbabwe |
President of Zimbabwe (1987–2017) |
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Teodoro Obiang Nguema Mbasogo |  Equatorial Guinea |
President of Equatorial Guinea (1979–present) |
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Yahya Jammeh |  The Gambia |
President of the Gambia (1996–2017) |
Americas
edit| Image | Name | Country | Role |
|---|---|---|---|
 |
Dario Antonio Úsuga |  Colombia |
Leader of the drug trafficking group Clan del Golfo |
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Los Zetas | Mexico |
Mexican criminal syndicate |
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Miguel Facussé Barjum |  Honduras |
Honduran businessman and landowner |
| Miguel Treviño Morales | Mexico |
Mexican drug lord | |
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Raúl Castro |  Cuba |
First Secretary of the Communist Party of Cuba (2011–2021) President of the Council of State (2008–2018) |
Asia
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Europe
edit| Image | Name | Country | Role |
|---|---|---|---|
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Alexander Lukashenko | Belarus |
President of Belarus (1994–present) |
| Camorra |  Italy |
Italian Mafia-type criminal organization and criminal society originating in the region of Campania, and is one of the oldest and largest criminal organizations in Italy. | |
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Ramzan Kadyrov |  Chechnya( Russia) |
Head of the Chechen Republic (2007–present) |
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Vladimir Putin | Russia |
President of Russia (2000–2008 and 2012–present) Prime Minister of Russia (2008–2012) |
2009–2011
editThe list of press freedom predators published by Reporters Without Borders from 2009 to 2011 includes:[16][17][18]
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2002
editIn August 2002, the Reporters Without Borders updated the 2001 list of press freedom predators with the inclusion of five more:[19]
| Image | Name | Country | Role |
|---|---|---|---|
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Ariel Sharon | Israel |
Prime Minister of Israel (2001–2006) |
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Altaf Hossain Choudhury |  Bangladesh |
Minister of Home Affairs of Bangladesh (2001–2004) |
| Islamic militants |  Pakistan |
||
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Armed Forces of the Philippines (in Southern Philippines) |
 Philippines |
Military of the Philippines |
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Sher Bahadur Deuba |  Nepal |
Prime Minister of Nepal (1995–1997, 2001–2002, 2004–2005, 2017–2018 and 2021–2022) |
2001
editIn November 2001, the list of press freedom predators published by Reporters Without Borders includes:[20]
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Digital press freedom predators
editIn March 2020, as part of the World Day Against Cyber-Censorship, the Reporters Without Borders published a list of digital press freedom predators. The list includes:[21][22]
Harassment
edit| Name | Country | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Electronic Flies |  Algeria |
Army of internet trolls in the Algerian government’s payroll. Their main task is to discredit all journalists critical of the government by engaging in online abuse, posting personal information about them and public reporting of critical posts in online platforms in order to remove them. |
| Hate Office |  Brazil |
Consisting of close presidential advisers of President of Brazil Jair Bolsonaro and coordinated by his son Carlos, the group publishes attacks against journalists on a large scale by engaging in social media campaigns of insults and threats. The existence of such group was revealed by Brazilian parliamentarian and former ally of Bolsonaro Joice Hasselmann. |
| Modi's Yoddhas | India |
Internet trolls who either volunteer their services or are paid employees of the ruling Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and are supporters of the current Prime Minister of India Narendra Modi. They engage in social media insults, calls for rape and death threats against critics of Modi. Yoddhas in Hindi language means 'warriors'. |
| The Kremlin's Troll Army | Russia |
An internet troll army which have an implicit backing of the Government of Russia and President of Russia Vladimir Putin. They spread false reports and videos, engage in doxing and defamation against critics of Putin, and also spread propaganda about those who denounce their activities. |
| Troll Gangs | Mexico |
An internet troll group who have engaged in social media smears, threats and insults against journalists who have questioned President of Mexico Andrés Manuel López Obrador’s decision to release drug lord El Chapo’s son Ovidio Guzmán López. |
State censorship
edit| Image | Name | Country | Role |
|---|---|---|---|
 |
Cyberspace Administration of China | China |
The central internet regulator, censor, oversight, and control agency for the People's Republic of China. The agency engages in internet censorship and supervision of private-sector platforms such as Baidu, WeChat, Weibo and Douyin, and blocking and deleting content and apps. During the COVID–19 pandemic in China, the agency has suppressed social media accounts of media outlets and bloggers, and censored news outlets critical of the government's handling of the pandemic. |
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Ministry of Home Affairs | India |
The ministry of the Government of India, which is mainly responsible for the maintenance of internal security and domestic policy of the country. On 5 August 2019, it completely disconnected internet communication in the Indian state of Jammu and Kashmir, resulting in Kashmiri journalists unable to work freely and depriving all of the state's residents from accessing independently reported news and information. Despite broadband connections being partially restored after six months, access to many sites remains largely uncertain and India is the country that most uses Internet shutdowns, with a total of 121 in 2019. |
| National Commission of Telecommunications (Conatel) |
Venezuela |
An agency of the Government of Venezuela that exercises the regulation, supervision and control over telecommunications. It orders the blocking of websites that are critical of the authorities of the government and many have been blocked without any possibility of appeal. The agency also temporarily blocks social media platforms such as Facebook, especially when opposition leader Juan Guaidó’s speeches are being broadcast live on Facebook. | |
|
Roskomnadzor (Federal Service for Supervision of Communications, Information Technology and Mass Media) |
Russia |
The Russian federal executive agency responsible for monitoring, controlling and censoring Russian mass media. It has blocked more than 490,000 websites without warning and without respecting legal procedure, and maintains a secret blacklist of banned sites. The agency also blocks platforms and apps that refuse to store their data on servers in Russia or provide the Russian authorities the means to decrypt messages. |
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Supreme Council of Cyberspace | Iran |
The agency was created in 2012, and consists of senior military and political figures. They engage in online selective access and control, blocking news websites, social media platforms and messaging apps such as Telegram, Signal, WhatsApp, Facebook and Twitter. Internet shutdowns are increasingly used to contain and suppress waves of street protests in the country, and publishing independent information are regarded as “counter-revolutionary” or “subversive” in nature. |
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Supreme Council for Media Regulation (SCMR) |
 Egypt |
The agency was created in 2017 to "devise and implement the media strategy for the Egyptian state." It engages in the blocking of news sites and messaging apps under the grounds that they publish false information. More than 500 websites and 11 messaging apps are currently inaccessible in Egypt. |
Disinformation
edit| Name | Country | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Call Centre Hubs | Philippines |
Consisting of supporters of President of the Philippines Rodrigo Duterte, they disseminate fake memes, maliciously edited content and conduct targeted harassment campaigns with the aim of smearing the media and manipulating public opinion. They had launched a campaign to smear and boycott the ABS-CBN radio and TV network with the aim of blocking the renewal of its licence. |
| Cyber Jihadist Unit |  Sudan |
The internet troll army that was created by the National Intelligence and Security Service, which spies on activists, politicians and journalists on social media. It also disseminates messages and articles with false information designed to discredit members of the current transitional government. |
| Force 47 |  Vietnam |
An internet army of 10,100 cyber soldiers run by the Ministry of Public Security. They are tasked with setting up, moderating and posting on pro-state Facebook groups. The group is also considered the largest and most sophisticated influence network in Southeast Asia.[23] |
| Saudi Electronic Brigade | Saudi Arabia |
Led by Saud al-Qahtani, the then advisor to Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, the network of pro-Saudi Twitter trolls and bots used to produce more than 2,500 tweets a day consisting of false information and hate messages against the critics of the Government of Saudi Arabia. |
Spying Surveillance
edit| Name | Country | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Gamma Group |  Germany United Kingdom |
An Anglo-German technology company that sells surveillance software to governments and police forces around the world. The FinFisher software, which was developed by the company, has been used by undemocratic regimes to spy on activists and journalists. |
| Memento Labs (formerly known as Hacking Team) |
Italy Saudi Arabia Switzerland |
The company created spyware capable of extracting files from a targeted device, intercepting emails and instant messages, and activating a device's webcam or microphone, which was then sold to law enforcement and intelligence agencies. |
| Mollitiam Industries |  Spain |
A Spanish software company that developed tools for intercepting phone calls and emails. One of the customers of its product is the Colombian Armed Forces, which used it to illegally spy on supreme court judges, politicians, journalists and journalists’ sources. |
| NSO Group | Israel |
An Israeli technology firm primarily known for its proprietary spyware Pegasus, which uses a WhatsApp flaw to install on targeted smartphones and send them infected files that open automatically. The spyware has been used to target human rights activists and journalists in various countries. |
| Zerodium (formerly known as Vupen) |
United States |
An American information security company based in Washington, D.C. and Europe, which pays bounties to hackers and security researchers to be exclusively informed about their discoveries, which is used to spy on journalists to foreign governments. |
Notes
edit- ↑ Chairman Min Aung Hlaing is pictured in the RWB report, and was identified by RWB as the key decision-maker on the SSPC, though the RWB named the SSPC itself as the press freedom predator.[6]
References
edit- ↑ "Pakistan rejects naming of PM Khan as press freedom 'predator'". www.aljazeera.com.
- ↑ "Press freedom: India, Pakistan PMs among 37 world leaders on 'predators' list - Times of India". The Times of India.
- ↑ "Baseless to include Duterte on 'press freedom predator' list". www.pna.gov.ph.
- ↑ "RSF unveils 20/2020 list of press freedom's digital predators". 12 March 2020. Retrieved 13 July 2021.
- ↑ "2025 Press Freedom Predators". RSF. 2 November 2025.
- 1 2 "State Security and Peace Commission (Myanmar)". 2025 Press Freedom Predators. Reporters Without Borders. 31 October 2025. Retrieved 3 May 2026.
- 1 2 "Senior General Min Aung Hlaing to lead new State Security and Peace Commission". NP News. 31 July 2025. Retrieved 31 July 2025.
- ↑ Thiha, Amara (20 August 2025). "Myanmar's December Election: Engineering Continuity Through Institutional Redesign". Stimson Center. Retrieved 7 December 2025.
- 1 2 Peck, Grant (31 July 2025). "Myanmar ends state of emergency and military leader switches roles to prepare for polls". Associated Press. Retrieved 31 July 2025.
Also, existing administrative bodies formed after the army takeover, including the State Administration Council, have been now dissolved and all government functions have been handed to the National Defense and Security Council, the spokesperson said.
- ↑ "NDSC Order No.4/2025: Formation of State Security and Peace Commission". Ministry of the State Administration Council Chairman's Office. 31 July 2025. Archived from the original on 20 August 2025. Retrieved 2 August 2025.
- ↑ Tucker, Sydney; Pamela, Kennedy. "The Prospect of Junta-led Elections in an Uncertain Myanmar". Stimson Center. Retrieved 3 May 2026.
There are doubts as to whether the country can move forward if Min Aung Hlaing becomes president, as concerns persist about the stability and sustainability of the regime under his control. As he has effectively consolidated power, it is not clear who would succeed him were he to vacate the top position. Experts drew a distinction between the goals of the Burmese military and senior general Min Aung Hlaing. The military wants to ensure the power of the institution, while Min Aung Hlaing is more vested in his own political future.
- ↑ "RSF's 2021 "Press freedom predators" gallery – old tyrants, two women and a European | Reporters without borders". RSF. 2 July 2021.
- ↑ "Predators 2021" (PDF). RSF. 2021. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2 July 2022.
- ↑ "Press Freedom Predators" (PDF). Reporters Without Borders. 2016. Retrieved 25 June 2022.
- ↑ "Predators" (PDF). RSF. 2013. Retrieved 25 June 2022.
- ↑ Juillard, Jef (4 May 2007). "Media predators". The Guardian. Retrieved 26 June 2022.
- ↑ Townend, Judith (4 May 2010). "Reporters Without Borders names 40 press freedom 'predators'". journalism.co.uk. Retrieved 26 June 2022.
- ↑ "Predators of Press Freedom" (PDF). kubatana.net. 2010. Retrieved 26 June 2022.
- ↑ "RSF publishes updated list of international press freedom predators". Indymedia. 16 August 2002. Retrieved 11 May 2026.
- ↑ "RSF publishes list of thirty-nine "press freedom predators"". ifex. 6 November 2001. Retrieved 26 June 2022.
- ↑ "RSF unveils 20/2020 list of press freedom's digital predators" (PDF). Reporters Without Borders. 2020. Retrieved 26 June 2022.
- ↑ Beaumont, Peter (12 March 2020). "List of world's worst 'digital predators' stretches from India and Brazil to US". The Guardian. Retrieved 26 June 2022.
- ↑ Pearson, James (9 July 2021). "How Vietnam's 'influencer' army wages information warfare on Facebook". Reuters. Retrieved 27 June 2022.