A crackdown in Russia has led to a global decline in internet freedom, although a number of smaller countries are making strides, Freedom House said in a Tuesday study.
The US Democratic Advocacy and Research Group found that global internet freedom has declined for the 12th straight year, led by Russia and deteriorating conditions in Myanmar, Sudan and Libya.
But the report also noted that a record 26 nations have made progress, with notable gains in The Gambia, which is shaking off two decades of dictatorship, and in the much-criticized Zimbabwe, which has introduced a new privacy law.
Allie Funk, the report’s co-author, said civil society had begun to see the fruits of advocacy around the world.
“In the last three to five years, you’ve seen a massive emphasis on human rights online, from democratic governments that have poured big bucks into internet freedom programs, and tech companies — some of them — have started paying attention to these issues said Funk, research director for technology and democracy at Freedom House.
“Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has undermined internet freedom, not just in Russia and Ukraine but globally,” she said, but the overall outlook is “actually a lot brighter than before.”
Freedom House ranks nations on a 100-point scale based on indicators including barriers to internet access, content restrictions and violations of user rights.
Russia’s rating fell seven points to an all-time low as the Kremlin blocked websites and major social media platforms to eliminate other reports of its “special military operation” in Ukraine.
China again received the worst mark for internet freedom. The report pointed to heavy censorship of information about the response to the Covid pandemic and the Beijing Winter Olympics, as well as the detention of tennis star Peng Shuai after she claimed on social media that she was assaulted by former Vice Premier Zhang Gaoli been.
The report states that the future of the internet is likely to be decided by “swing states” — big nations like Brazil, India and Nigeria with mixed track records.
“Advances in these countries could ensure the survival of a free and open internet, or they could join authoritarian powers in promoting the more cohesive model of cyber sovereignty,” the report said.
The report found internet controls, such as website bans or internet user arrests, between June 2021 and May in all 70 countries surveyed except four – Canada, Costa Rica, Iceland and Japan.
