Restriction grows on Internet freedoms

Governments all over the world are increasingly restricting Internet freedoms as penetration spreads and activists turn to the still-evolving medium, according to a comprehensive analysis of practices in 37 nations.

The report to be released April 18 in the US found that some countries imposed their first political controls on Internet content in the past two years, while those that had already restricted access redoubled their efforts with new tools and bureaucracies. The 410-page report by Freedom House, which relied primarily on researchers on the ground in the countries surveyed, was funded by the United Nations and other sources and follows up on a similar 2009 document that studied 15 nations. Nine of those 15 had worse scores for overall Internet freedom in the latest review – based on obstacles to access, limits on content, and user surveillance and repercussions – and a majority of the newly tracked countries also demonstrated negative trends. Based on points awarded for various factors, the report ranked Estonia as the most free of the 37, followed by the US, Germany, Australia and the UK. The most repressive Internet policies were found in Iran, with Burma, Cuba, China, and Tunisia coming in behind it. Iran, China, and Russia were among those covered in both surveys that displayed increased repression.