RESEARCH TRIANGLE PARK – Freedom across the Internet continued to decline for the ninth consecutive year, says a new report from FreedomontheNet.org.
“Internet freedom is increasingly imperiled by the tools and tactics of digital authoritarianism, which have spread rapidly around the globe,” Adrian Shahbaz and Allie Funk write.
“Repressive regimes, elected incumbents with authoritarian ambitions, and unscrupulous partisan operatives have exploited the unregulated spaces of social media platforms, converting them into instruments for political distortion and societal control. While social media have at times served as a level playing field for civic discussion, they are now tilting dangerously toward illiberalism, exposing citizens to an unprecedented crackdown on their fundamental freedoms. Moreover, a startling variety of governments are deploying advanced tools to identify and monitor users on an immense scale. As a result of these trends, global internet freedom declined for the ninth consecutive year in 2019.”
Highlights of the report:
- Of the 65 countries assessed, 33 have been on an overall decline since June 2018, compared with 16 that registered net improvements.
- China confirmed its status as the world’s worst abuser of internet freedom for the fourth consecutive year.
- Internet freedom declined in the United States.
- Only 16 countries earned improvements in their internet freedom scores, and most gains were marginal.
- Iceland became the world’s best protector of internet freedom.
About the US
Here’s what the writers say about the United States:
“While the online environment remains vibrant, diverse, and free from state censorship, this report’s coverage period saw the third straight year of decline. Law enforcement and immigration agencies expanded their surveillance of the public, eschewing oversight, transparency, and accountability mechanisms that might restrain their actions. Officials increasingly monitored social media platforms and conducted warrantless searches of travelers’ electronic devices to glean information about constitutionally protected activities such as peaceful protests and critical reporting. Disinformation was again prevalent around major political events like the November 2018 midterm elections and congressional confirmation hearings for Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh. Both domestic and foreign actors manipulated content for political purposes, undermining the democratic process and stoking divisions in American society. In a positive development for privacy rights, the Supreme Court ruled that warrants are required for law enforcement agencies to access subscriber-location records from third parties.”
Freedom on the Net.org graphic
