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Global Internet Freedoms Decline for Fourth Straight Year
Via Freedom House:
Freedom on the Net 2014 — the fifth annual comprehensive study of internet freedom around the globe, covering developments in 65 countries that occurred between May 2013 and May 2014 — finds internet freedom around the world in decline for the fourth consecutive year, with 36 out of 65 countries assessed in the report experiencing a negative trajectory during the coverage period.
In a departure from the past, when most governments preferred a behind-the-scenes approach to internet control, countries rapidly adopted new laws that legitimize existing repression and effectively criminalize online dissent.
The past year also saw increased government pressure on independent news websites, which had previously been among the few uninhibited sources of information in many countries, in addition to more people detained or prosecuted for their digital activities than ever before.
Visit Freedom House to see how your country stacks up.
For example, Iceland has the world’s greatest Internet freedoms followed by Estonia. The United States comes in sixth with the following warning for journalists and newsrooms:
In November 2013, the free expression and literature advocacy group PEN America released the results of a survey showing that the NSA surveillance revelations had resulted in increased self-censorship among writers. Since the revelations began in June 20013, 28 percent of respondents reported having altered or avoided social media activities, 24 percent reported deliberately avoiding certain topics in phone or email conversations, and 16 percent reported avoiding writing or speaking about a particular topic.
Additionally, Human Rights Watch conducted a survey of journalists and lawyers revealing the degree to which NSA surveillance has impacted their ability to communicate with sources and clients confidentially. Journalists reported that government officials are significantly less likely to speak with journalists than they were a few years ago due to concerns about anonymity and the ability of the intelligence agencies to access their communications information. Lawyers also reported facing increasing pressure to conceal or secure their communications with clients, particularly in cases with foreign governments or prosecutions that might spark an intelligence inquiry.
Images: Some takeaways from Freedom House’s Freedom on the Net report. Select to embiggen.