The human rights organization Freedom House released their annual report on global internet freedom on Wednesday, October 16, 2024. The report highlights that global internet freedom has been declining for 14 consecutive years, with China ranking at the bottom for the tenth consecutive year with a score of only 9 out of 100. Taiwan, on the other hand, ranks first in Asia and seventh globally with a score of 79.
According to Freedom House, at least 43 countries have seen individuals attacked or killed due to their online speech and activities, marking a historic high in such incidents.
Internet freedom is an annual study on digital human rights. The 2024 “Freedom on the Net” report evaluates internet freedom in 72 countries and regions, representing 87% of global internet users. Among these, 27 countries have seen a decline in internet freedom protections, while 18 countries have shown improvement.
The assessment uses a standard methodology to assign a score out of 100 to each country based on 21 independent indicators covering access barriers, content restrictions, and violations of user rights. China, under the rule of the Chinese Communist Party, continues to be rated as the country with the worst internet freedom environment globally, scoring only 9 points.
Myanmar’s overall score has dropped in this year’s assessment, tying with China as one of the lowest-rated countries in the report. This is the first time in a decade that a country has shared the bottom ranking with China.
Since the military coup in 2021, the military in Myanmar has brutally suppressed dissenting voices, utilizing widespread censorship and surveillance systems to stifle critical speech and imprison thousands for online expressions.
Regarding internet freedom in China, the report notes, “Beijing continues to isolate China’s domestic internet from the rest of the world, blocking access to some foreign government websites and imposing hefty fines on those using VPNs.”
The report also states that the Chinese government continues to “systematically suppress dissenting voices.” For instance, in November 2023, Chinese activist and journalist Sun Lin was beaten to death by police for his online criticism of CCP leader Xi Jinping, leading to subsequent online discussions about Sun Lin being censored by the authorities.
For the past decade, Chinese internet users have faced the worst internet freedom conditions globally. Activities such as sharing news stories online, discussing religious beliefs, and communicating with family and overseas individuals are met with severe legal consequences and extrajudicial repercussions. Authorities wield significant power over the tech industry, using regulatory investigations and takedown orders to enforce the government’s narrative.
“In recent years, the authoritarian regime in China (CCP) has escalated its repression. The ruling Communist Party (CCP) continues to tighten control over various aspects of life and governance, including state bureaucracies, media, online discourse, religious activities, universities, businesses, and civil society,” the report adds. “Following years of crackdowns on dissenters, independent non-governmental organizations (NGOs), and human rights defenders, China’s civil society has been largely dismantled.”
Iceland has been ranked as the country with the highest internet freedom for the sixth consecutive year, scoring 94 points. Other countries and regions in the top ten rankings include Estonia (92 points), Chile (86 points), Canada (86 points), Costa Rica (85 points), the Netherlands (83 points), Taiwan (79 points), the UK (78 points), Japan (78 points), and Germany (77 points).
The bottom five countries in the rankings include China (9 points), Myanmar (9 points), Iran (12 points), Cuba (20 points), and Russia (20 points).
In the latest rankings, Taiwan stands out as the Asian entity with the highest internet freedom. The report indicates that Taiwan’s civil society, tech industry, and government have taken innovative actions to counter the influence of false information spread by the Chinese Communist Party.
“Taiwanese civil society has established a transparent, decentralized, collaborative approach to fact-checking and debunking misinformation, serving as a global model,” the report mentions.
Allie Funk, the Director of Technology and Democracy Research at Freedom House, emphasizes, “An open and free internet is essential for the proper functioning of democratic systems in the 21st century. To reverse the global trend of declining internet freedom, policymakers and companies must recommit to protecting freedom of speech, ensuring diverse information channels, and enhancing support for local civil society.”