“China ranks worst globally for internet freedom”: US Freedom House report

China ranked last in internet freedom, according to the annual report by US-based non-profit organization Freedom House.

The organization’s 2024 ‘Freedom on the Net’ (FOTN) report, released on Wednesday, outlines the barriers people face in accessing the internet, including limits on content and users, based on data collected from June 2023 to May 2024. Internet freedom assessed in the context of violations of. ‘ rights.

Freedom House said China shares its name with Myanmar as the world’s worst environment for internet freedom.

Both China and Myanmar scored 9 out of 100 in internet freedom, the lowest of all the countries assessed.

According to the report, China has intensified efforts to shut off its domestic internet from the global network. The Chinese government blocked international access to some official websites. Additionally, authorities imposed heavy fines on individuals using Virtual Private Networks (VPNs).

“Beijing continues its effort to isolate China’s domestic internet from the rest of the world, blocking international traffic to some government websites and imposing heavy fines on people who use VPNs. The Chinese government also continued to systematically suppress dissent, for example by censoring online discussion about activist and journalist Sun Lin, whose posts on social media about protests against the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) leader in November 2023 Died after being beaten by police in apparent retaliation for media posts. Xi Jinping,” the report said.

The report on deteriorating conditions of internet freedom in Myanmar says the country’s military has stepped up its attacks on internet freedom and launched a brutal campaign against online dissent.

“Conditions there deteriorated to their lowest level in the history of FOTN. Since seizing power in a 2021 coup, Myanmar’s military has carried out a brutal violent crackdown on dissent and jailed thousands of people in retaliation for their online speech, while also suppressing the activities of civilian democracy activists and armed resistance. A massive censorship and surveillance system is being built. Group,” the report said.

It says, “In May 2024, the military introduced new censorship technology to block most VPNs, leaving residents without the tools they rely on to safely bypass Internet controls.” Used to do.”

At the other end of the spectrum, Iceland maintained its position as the freest online environment, and Zambia achieved the largest score improvement. For the first time in 2024, FOTN assessed the situations in Chile and the Netherlands, both of which demonstrated strong safeguards for human rights online.

The organization further said that global Internet freedom has declined for the 14th consecutive year and that online human rights protections have declined in 27 of the 72 countries covered by FOTN.