freedom trends and assumptions - a global assessment of internet and digital media
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Freedom Trends and Assumptions
Cyber Dissidents: Global Successes and ChallengesGeorge W. Bush Institute
Dallas, TexasApril 19, 2010
FREEDOM TRENDS AND ASSUMPTIONS
FREEDOM TRENDS AND ASSUMPTIONS
• Post-Cold War period brings greater freedom
• Open, democratic standards dominant
• Onset of “Freedom Recession”
• Post-Cold War period brings greater freedom
• Open, democratic standards dominant
• Onset of “Freedom Recession”
TESTING THE ASSUMPTIONSTESTING THE
ASSUMPTIONS
• Economic Growth = Greater Freedom
• Globalization = Greater Freedom
• Internet = Greater Freedom
• Economic Growth = Greater Freedom
• Globalization = Greater Freedom
• Internet = Greater Freedom
NEW ASSUMPTIONSNEW ASSUMPTIONS
• Controlling everything is neither essential, nor desirable
• Censorship can be “commercialized”
• Authoritarianism 2.0 and the Internet
• Controlling everything is neither essential, nor desirable
• Censorship can be “commercialized”
• Authoritarianism 2.0 and the Internet
NET FREEDOM: A Global Assessment of Internet
and Digital Media
Cyber Dissidents: Global Successes and ChallengesGeorge W. Bush Institute
Dallas, TexasApril 19, 2010
What is Net Freedom?What is Net Freedom?
• What techniques are used to control and censor online content?
• What are the main threats to internet and digital media freedom?
• What are the positive trends and uses of these technologies?
• What techniques are used to control and censor online content?
• What are the main threats to internet and digital media freedom?
• What are the positive trends and uses of these technologies?
HOW DO WE MEASURE NET FREEDOM
HOW DO WE MEASURE NET FREEDOM
• Obstacles to Access
• Limits on Content
• Violations of User Rights
• Obstacles to Access
• Limits on Content
• Violations of User Rights
WHAT WE FOUND: WHAT WE FOUND:
MORE NET FREEDOM THAN PRESS FREEDOM
MORE NET FREEDOM THAN PRESS FREEDOM
• Every country except the UK scored better on FOTN than Freedom of the Press
• Differences most noticeable in partially free countries.
• Every country except the UK scored better on FOTN than Freedom of the Press
• Differences most noticeable in partially free countries.
GROWING CIVIC ACTIVISM
Bloggers and other internet users are using digital media in creative ways to mobilize:
• Facebook activists in Egypt
• Use of Twitter for political change in Moldova
• Text messages report election violence in Kenya
• “Sneakernets” in Cuba
Bloggers and other internet users are using digital media in creative ways to mobilize:
• Facebook activists in Egypt
• Use of Twitter for political change in Moldova
• Text messages report election violence in Kenya
• “Sneakernets” in Cuba
BUT ALSO…GROWING THREATSBUT ALSO…GROWING THREATS
• Conditions deteriorated in many countries over the review period.
• 11 of the 15 countries censored some political content.
• Six of the 15 countries sentenced a blogger or online journalist to prison.
• Five introduced new internet-restricting legislation.
• Conditions deteriorated in many countries over the review period.
• 11 of the 15 countries censored some political content.
• Six of the 15 countries sentenced a blogger or online journalist to prison.
• Five introduced new internet-restricting legislation.
LEGAL REPERCUSSIONS AND VIOLENCE
LEGAL REPERCUSSIONS AND VIOLENCE
• Legal repercussions:– Use of general media legislation
against online activities as well as development of internet-specific legislation
– “Libel Tourism” a danger in the UK
• Extra-legal harassment and violence:– Detentions, intimidation, torture– Technical violence: hacking, DDoS
attacks, Cyber espionage
• Surveillance and infringements on privacy in a wide range of environments
• Legal repercussions:– Use of general media legislation
against online activities as well as development of internet-specific legislation
– “Libel Tourism” a danger in the UK
• Extra-legal harassment and violence:– Detentions, intimidation, torture– Technical violence: hacking, DDoS
attacks, Cyber espionage
• Surveillance and infringements on privacy in a wide range of environments
RESTRICTING ACCESS TO TECHNOLOGIES OR APPLICATIONS
RESTRICTING ACCESS TO TECHNOLOGIES OR APPLICATIONS
• Seven of the 15 countries studied had blocked ‘Web 2.0’ applications such as:
– YouTube
– Flickr
• Iran restricts broadband and Mobile SMS
• Seven of the 15 countries studied had blocked ‘Web 2.0’ applications such as:
– YouTube
– Flickr
• Iran restricts broadband and Mobile SMS
CENSORSHIPCENSORSHIP• Some censorship in
every country studied, though not always political/social content.
• Wide range of techniques for removing content:– Technical filtering– Manual removal because of government directives,
judicial orders, intimidation
• China’s apparatus is the most sophisticated, multi-layered, and includes censored SMS.
• Significant lack of transparency in censorship procedures, including in some democracies.
• Some censorship in every country studied, though not always political/social content.
• Wide range of techniques for removing content:– Technical filtering– Manual removal because of government directives,
judicial orders, intimidation
• China’s apparatus is the most sophisticated, multi-layered, and includes censored SMS.
• Significant lack of transparency in censorship procedures, including in some democracies.
WHAT CENSORSHIP LOOKS LIKE
WHAT CENSORSHIP LOOKS LIKE
We compared the results from three searches using Google, a top search engine in the U.S. with results from Baidu, the top search engine in China.
The search terms were:•Freedom House•Falun Dafa•Tiananmen Square
We compared the results from three searches using Google, a top search engine in the U.S. with results from Baidu, the top search engine in China.
The search terms were:•Freedom House•Falun Dafa•Tiananmen Square
FREEDOM HOUSEFREEDOM HOUSE
FALUN DAFAFALUN DAFA
TIANANMEN SQUARETIANANMEN SQUARE
GOING THE DISTANCE FOR ACCESSGOING THE DISTANCE FOR ACCESS
Residents in the Xinjiang province of China faced crippling restrictions of email, SMS, and the Internet after the government clamped down on civil unrest in the area.
Business owners and residents of Xinjiang were forced to travel 24 hours by car and hundreds of miles by train and airplane to reach the nearest internet café.
Residents in the Xinjiang province of China faced crippling restrictions of email, SMS, and the Internet after the government clamped down on civil unrest in the area.
Business owners and residents of Xinjiang were forced to travel 24 hours by car and hundreds of miles by train and airplane to reach the nearest internet café.
Would you travel over 600 miles just to check your email?
RECOMMENDATIONSRECOMMENDATIONS
• Foresight and creativity needed from democratic countries to establish policies to protect free expression online.
• Legislation such as GOFA would help prevention of technology transfer to repressive regimes.
• Funding for research and monitoring at both international and national levels.
• Support for in-country activists.
• Foresight and creativity needed from democratic countries to establish policies to protect free expression online.
• Legislation such as GOFA would help prevention of technology transfer to repressive regimes.
• Funding for research and monitoring at both international and national levels.
• Support for in-country activists.
Freedom House is an independent watchdog organization that supports the expansion of freedom around the world. Freedom House supports democratic change, monitors freedom, and advocates for democracy and human rights.
www.freedomhouse.org
Support the right of every individual to be free.Donate now.
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