Over half of people in democracies feel freedoms overly curbed in COVID crisis: survey

FILE PHOTO: Protestors demonstrate outside the home of Tucson's Mayor Regina Romero in opposition to the new mask mandate to prevent the spread of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) in Tucson, Arizona, U.S., June 20, 2020. REUTERS/Cheney Orr

BRUSSELS (Reuters) - Fifty-eight percent of people living in the world's democracies are satisfied with the response of their government to the COVID-19 pandemic though over half believe their freedoms have been overly restricted, a survey published on Wednesday found.

The survey of over 50,000 people from 53 countries also found that a little more than half feel their nation is democratic but many view economic inequality and the power of big tech companies as threats to democracy.