Internet Freedom Declining Globally: China Is Worst, India Not Far Behind

A new report sheds light on the continuing decline in online freedom across the globe. The study by Freedom House found that internet freedom declined globally for the 11th consecutive year.

The democracy advocacy group added that governments are cracking down on online freedoms more than ever before, with misinformation spreading rapidly across platforms.

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What caused decline in internet freedoms?

For this decline in online freedoms, the group believes there are two reasons. For starters, there is not enough regulation in place for tech companies, due to which their growth has remain unfettered until recently.

Due to this, misinformation also flourishes online. In addition, governments with authoritarian leanings are now seeking a tighter control on the internet and all that it offers. Freedom House also claims that sources of online information are no longer diverse, creating an environment for misinformation to flourish, as seen in the 2020 US elections.

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Also read: Twitter Concerned Of Potential Threat To Freedom Of Expression In India

The study has been published every year since 1973 and measures internet freedom by country on a 100-point scale. The focus of this study is internet availability, government control over it and regulatory measures. The freer a country, the higher it'll score on the 100-point scale.

The report mentions that in at least 20 countries, internet access was suspended. The same number of countries also restricted access to social media over the last year.

The worst performers

The biggest dips in terms of access were recorded in Myanmar, which recently witnessed a military coup along with Belarus and Uganda. Just before the elections in January 2021, pro-government narratives flooded the online ecosystem in the country, causing its internet freedom performance to worsen. Which country is performing the worst, you wonder? The report calls China the world's "worst abuser" of internet freedom.

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Also read: India Falls From 'Free' To 'Partly Free' On Freedom Index. Here's What It Means

The country has cooked up laws to limit dissent online while restricting freedom of expression, in classic Chinese style. India, too isn't much far behind. The government of India got into a tussle with Twitter for adding a "manipulated media" tag on one of ruling party member's clip. Since then, tech companies are facing increasing pressure in India especially after the new information technology rules that require all companies to have local officers to help with grievances and concerns. The move is aimed at making companies more answerable to the government.

The report also notes how governments around the world are at odds with tech companies in terms of freedom of speech and rights of users among many things. At least 42 countries are currently pursuing rules that regulate the amount of autonomy tech companies exercise.

Do you think internet freedom in your country/region has declined in the last year? Let us know in the comments below. For more on online freedom, big tech, and latest from the world of science and technology, keep reading Indiatimes.com.