Freedom House: Global internet freedom declined for the 14th year in a row

2024-10-16 17:16:11, Aktualitet CNA

The US-based Freedom House said on Wednesday that censorship and manipulation of content undermined the ability of voters to make informed decisions in elections around the world last year, and citizens in a growing number of countries were faced retaliation for their speech online. Both of these factors were the main contributors to the decline in global internet freedom for the 14th year in a row.

In the report released Wednesday, the organization notes that governments in at least 25 of the 72 countries included in its analysis cut off Internet access, restricted access to social media platforms or blocked websites that publish political, social and religious content during electoral periods, often with the aim of shaping the results.

"Governments also chose arrests, violence and other forms of repression to silence free speech online outside of election periods. In at least 56 countries, internet users were arrested for expressing their political, social or religious views. People were physically attacked or killed in retaliation for their online activities in at least 43 countries, a record high number," the report said, noting that some of the worst violations occurred in the context of armed conflict.

"Internet blackouts in the midst of such fighting plunged civilians into an information vacuum, prevented journalists from reporting on the violence, and impeded the delivery of life-saving aid."

Interim president of Freedom House, Nicole Bibbins Sedaca, said that "people are struggling to access reliable information online, and the spread of false or misleading content is casting doubt on election results and sowing long-term distrust in institutions." democratic".

She said violent attacks and intimidation to silence free speech online became more widespread last year, when elections were being held in many countries around the world.

"Creating a safe and reliable space for free expression on the Internet is essential not only for preserving Internet freedom, but also for preserving and strengthening democracy," she said.

According to Freedom House, online human rights protections declined in 27 of the 72 countries covered by the report. Kyrgyzstan suffered the biggest decline followed by Azerbaijan, Belarus, Iraq and Zimbabwe. Internet freedom marked improvement in Zambia.

Myanmar and China rank as the world's worst environments for internet freedom.

Myanmar's military has carried out a brutally violent crackdown on dissent since seizing power in a 2021 coup, using an extensive system of censorship and surveillance to suppress criticism and jailing thousands of people for speaking out online.

Chile and the Netherlands were included in this year's analysis for the first time and serve as global models for internet freedom.

The report notes, among other things, that during important elections campaigns and propagandists used Artificial Intelligence, noting that a largely unregulated environment for AI allowed political campaigns to use the new technology in a variety of ways, ranging from innocuous to highly sophisticated forms. deceptive. AI tools, the report said, were used by parties and candidates to create compelling narratives, mock political opponents, reach diverse audiences and even circumvent state censorship in more authoritarian settings. In the most disturbing cases, malicious actors used artificial intelligence to produce false and misleading information.

Many governments, the report said, took steps aimed at tackling an unreliable information space during election periods, with mixed results for internet freedom. Interventions included enforcing rules around online content, supporting fact-checking initiatives and adopting new guidelines to limit the use of artificial intelligence in campaigning. While some measures failed to adequately protect free expression and access to various information, the most promising models, the report said, were implemented in South Africa, Taiwan and the European Union.

"A free and open Internet is essential to a well-functioning democracy in the 21st century," said report co-author Allie Funk, Freedom House's technology and democracy research director. "To halt the global decline of Internet freedom, policymakers and companies must renew their commitments to protect free expression, protect diverse access to information, and increase support for local civil society."

Among the proposals for overcoming the situation in the world, the report lists the promotion of freedom of expression and access to information. Governments, the text of the report says, should protect access to internet services, digital platforms and technology against censorship, especially during elections, protests and periods of unrest or conflict. Imposing outright or arbitrary bans on social media and messaging platforms unfairly restricts free expression and access to information.

The organization calls for the protection of information integrity, stressing that fostering a high-quality, diverse and reliable information space requires a whole-of-society approach. Policymakers should increase support for civil society and local media, invest in civic education programs and encourage the private sector to be more transparent and accountable, says the report, which highlights that protecting a free and open internet it should be treated as a pillar of democracy.

The Internet Freedom Report is an annual survey of human rights in the digital sphere. The project assesses Internet freedom in 72 countries, accounting for 87 percent of the world's Internet users. This year's report covers developments between June 2023 and May 2024./ VOA