Freedom House

📣 NEW: #FreedomOnTheNet 2024 is now LIVE! Global internet freedom declined for the 14th consecutive year as voters were forced to make major decisions about their future while navigating a censored, distorted, and unreliable information space. https://lnkd.in/gvUrnjvM Protections for human rights online diminished in 27 of the 72 countries covered by FOTN24, and just 18 earned score improvements. Myanmar and China tied as the world’s worst environment for internet freedom, while Iceland maintained its status as the freest. People were physically attacked or killed in retaliation for their online activities in a record high of at least 43 countries. Users also faced arrest for nonviolent expression in three-quarters of the countries covered by FOTN, with some receiving prison sentences of 10+ years. Censorship and content manipulation were combined to sway elections. Voters in at least 25 of the 41 FOTN countries that held or prepared for nationwide elections contended with a censored information space, while in at least 21 countries progovernment commentators manipulated online information to stoke doubt in election integrity and democratic institutions broadly. More than half of these 41 countries took steps to safeguard information integrity, with mixed results. Examples from South Africa, Taiwan, and the EU—which all prioritized transparency, civil society expertise, democratic oversight, and international norms—served as the most promising models. Internet freedom is a pillar of modern democracy. Our research indicates that online censorship and manipulation are growing ever more extreme, requiring a renewed and sustained commitment to internet freedom lest we hasten democracy’s global decline. Explore more from #FreedomOnTheNet 2024: https://lnkd.in/gvUrnjvM

🟧 NEW TNR Watch: What’s in a Name? Varied responses to #transnationalrepression skipped a critical step—no common definition was established in legislation. Our November analysis explores this gap and how US policymakers should fill it: https://lnkd.in/g4JSK47E

🇧🇷 Brazil is rated Partly Free by #FreedomOnTheNet 2024 with a score of 65/100. The efforts of Brazil’s Superior Electoral Court demonstrated the complexity of upholding internet freedom while countering disinformation. Learn more: https://lnkd.in/gxYzRYwq

Today's Spotlight🔆on Freedom: 🌍 EU Outsourcing Human Rights Responsibilities 🖋️ Celebrating Our First Collective-Bargaining Agreement 📄 Special Report: What Happened in Nagorno-Karabakh? More: bit.ly/FH-11-14 Subscribe: https://lnkd.in/dpBr643W

Please welcome Brian Tronic as our new director of the #FreeThemAll: Fred Hiatt Program to Free Political Prisoners! Brian and his extensive experience will be crucial to our efforts supporting and defending political prisoners, their families, and their freedom. Read more: https://lnkd.in/gakefDxN

As #COP29 convenes in Azerbaijan, we present a detailed account of the Aliyev regime’s campaign of ethnic cleansing in Nagorno-Karabakh and offer numerous recommendations to governments and international organizations for how to hold it accountable. See our full analysis ⬇️ https://lnkd.in/gjMQNS2m

🇺🇸 The United States is rated Free by #FreedomOnTheNet 2024 with a score of 76/100. The internet in the United States remained diverse and vibrant, though voters were forced to navigate an unreliable information space ahead of the Nov. 5 election. More: https://lnkd.in/gmpadbqs

🌎 What’s the state of internet freedom in the Americas? #FreedomOnTheNet 2024 recorded a net decline across the region as authorities imposed harsher penalties for online activities, including arrests and long-term prison sentences. More: https://lnkd.in/g_7HAnh2

🌍 2024 marks the third year in a row that #COP is hosted by an authoritarian petrostate. As #COP29 kicks off in Baku, it’s vital that the international community use this year's conference to highlight its host's abysmal human rights record. More: https://lnkd.in/gy9mEiy4

A successful defense of the free, open, & interoperable internet will depend on international cooperation & a shared vision for global internet freedom. #FreedomOnTheNet 2024 outlines what's possible & what's standing in the way of this vision: https://lnkd.in/g-wEScvd