America’s Internet Freedom Rating Dropped Due to the Repeal of Net Neutrality

Freedom House, a US-based pro-democracy think tank, releases an annual report that analyzes the amount of internet freedom in countries around the world, and assigns a score to each country. While America still has a high level of internet freedom, the loss of net neutrality protections, privacy laws, and the merging of major telecom companies caused its rating to drop in 2018. “It is depressing but not unexpected,” said Josh Tabish, the Ford/MDF Technology Exchange Fellow at Fight for the Future. “In terms of internet freedom, this current congress has been one of the most dangerous that the country has maybe ever seen.”  “Losing net neutrality impacts internet freedom because the open web is one of most powerful tools we have to hold leaders to account,” Tabish said. “Whether you’re challenging tyranny or just saying something unpopular politically, net neutrality is essential for maintaining free speech online.”