Uzbekistan has one of Central Asia's biggest media markets. TV is the most popular medium and the state broadcaster operates the main national networks. Russian TV is widely watched.

Media freedom has declined after some limited improvement following the death in 2016 of former President Islam Karimov.

The run-up to the 2021 presidential election saw tightened controls over internet content and increased pressure on critical voices.

News is mainly consumed online, especially by younger Uzbeks, but sensitive content is often blocked. Opposition and other critical websites are based abroad.

There were 17.1 million internet users by July 2022, around 50% of the population (Internetworldstats.com).

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