Globally, internet freedom worsened for the fourteenth year in a row, says the Freedom House organization.
Internet freedom is weakest among the countries studied in two Asian countries, Myanmar and China.
Myanmar’s weakened situation means that for the first time in a decade, China is not alone in the weakest country in the comparison, according to the US-based organization Freedom House’s annual from the report.
The comparison includes 72 countries, so not nearly all countries in the world are included in the comparison.
The military junta that seized power in Myanmar in 2021 has silenced dissent with violence, and thousands of people have been jailed for their online posts.
The activities of democracy activists and armed resistance groups have been suppressed by systematic censorship and surveillance, the report states.
Myanmar’s military administration blocks vpn connections
Last May, Myanmar’s military government introduced new technology to block the use of most vpn connections. Until then, VPN connections could be used to bypass the restrictions set for internet use.
In China, on the other hand, internet freedom has remained as weak as last year. The country is known, among other things, for its large firewall, with which it has blocked access to several social media channels and news sites.
More countries saw declines than improvements.
Finland was not included in the comparison
Internet freedom weakened the most in Kyrgyzstan. Authorities there, among other things, shut down the Kloop website, largely funded by US organizations, which had reported on claims made by an opposition leader about torture during detention.
The development was also bad in, for example, Azerbaijan and Iraq.
Iceland took the top spot in the comparison, followed by Estonia, Canada, Chile and Costa Rica. According to Freedom House, internet freedom improved the most in Zambia, where online activism gained more space.
For example, Finland, Sweden and Norway are missing from the comparison.