Freedom House, a think tank based in the United States, published its 2026 internet freedom rankings on 22 October, and Estonia ranked first of the countries in the assessment, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Estonia reports.
Foreign Minister Margus Tsahkna said the result confirms a long commitment to a free and open internet, adding that our status as a digital nation has become one of our strongest calling cards
. In his words, an open internet increases transparency, strengthens civil society and creates conditions for economic development.
The ministry recalls that Estonia chaired the Freedom Online Coalition in 2025 and that protecting digital rights is one of its priorities as a member of the UN Human Rights Council for 2026–2028. Estonia also co-leads the UN Global Dialogue on AI Governance together with El Salvador.
The next Tallinn Digital Summit takes place on 5 and 6 November and will discuss artificial intelligence and its impact on society; Freedom House's index is to be presented there as well.
Source: Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Estonia, . The text above is our own summary; the words in quotation marks are the source's.
What this means for an Estonian entrepreneur
For an entrepreneur choosing where to run a company online, the ranking supports what Estonia offers in practice: a company can be founded and managed through state e-services from abroad. A stable, open digital environment matters most for businesses that sell services online and rely on remote access to the state's systems.
We form an Estonian company online for an e-resident through the state's own digital services. Online company formation for e-residents
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