Your Country Might Have Less Internet Freedom Than You Think
Freedom of the internet declined across the globe in 2016 for the sixth consecutive year, according to research from Freedom House. How much freedom to use the web do you enjoy in your country?
The internet is facing increasing levels of censorship and restriction. Two-thirds of all internet users (67 per cent) live in countries where criticism of the government, military, or ruling family is subject to censorship of some kind. Meanwhile, authorities in 38 countries made arrests based on social media posts in the last year.
Internet use has become a key indicator of how much freedom citizens of a country enjoy, and the increase in censorship all over the world is providing much cause for concern.
There is good news, however, for internet users in Estonia and Iceland, the countries found to be joint-top of the internet freedom table below. The United States is fourth in the list, although the election of Donald Trump has prompted fears of censorship across the board.
China was the worst abuser of internet freedom this year. “Dozens of prosecutions related to online expression have increased self-censorship, as have legal restrictions introduced in 2015. A criminal law amendment added seven-year prison terms for spreading rumors on social media (a charge often used against those who criticize the authorities), while some users belonging to minority religious groups were imprisoned simply for watching religious videos on their mobile phones,” the report reads.
Other countries that received a particularly poor score in the report included Syria, Iran, Uzbekistan and Ethiopia. Over the past five years, internet freedom declined most sharply in Turkey. Ukraine, Venezuela and Russia have also witnessed steep drops in freedom.
Social media platforms and communication apps have faced even greater threats than ever before over the past year. Twenty-four governments from the 65 countries assessed in the Freedom House report impeded access to social media and communication tools, an increase from 15 the previous year.
One particularly worrying example of social media censorship last year was found in Turkey, where a man who posted a meme comparing President Recep Erdogan to Gollum from the Lord of the Rings films was given a one-year suspended sentence. Another user faces up to two years in prison for reposting the memes.
WhatsApp was the communication tool which faced the most restrictions in the past year. Twelve out of the 65 countries either blocked the app or disabled features. Facebook Messenger, LINE, IMO, Viber, Google Hangouts, and Telegram were all also mentioned in the reports as being regularly blocked around the world. Voice and video platforms like Skype and FaceTime were also blocked in 10 countries.
Since you are here, we would like to share our vision for the future of travel - and the direction Culture Trip is moving in.
Culture Trip launched in 2011 with a simple yet passionate mission: to inspire people to go beyond their boundaries and experience what makes a place, its people and its culture special and meaningful — and this is still in our DNA today. We are proud that, for more than a decade, millions like you have trusted our award-winning recommendations by people who deeply understand what makes certain places and communities so special.
Increasingly we believe the world needs more meaningful, real-life connections between curious travellers keen to explore the world in a more responsible way. That is why we have intensively curated a collection of premium small-group trips as an invitation to meet and connect with new, like-minded people for once-in-a-lifetime experiences in three categories: Culture Trips, Rail Trips and Private Trips. Our Trips are suitable for both solo travelers, couples and friends who want to explore the world together.
Culture Trips are deeply immersive 5 to 16 days itineraries, that combine authentic local experiences, exciting activities and 4-5* accommodation to look forward to at the end of each day. Our Rail Trips are our most planet-friendly itineraries that invite you to take the scenic route, relax whilst getting under the skin of a destination. Our Private Trips are fully tailored itineraries, curated by our Travel Experts specifically for you, your friends or your family.
We know that many of you worry about the environmental impact of travel and are looking for ways of expanding horizons in ways that do minimal harm - and may even bring benefits. We are committed to go as far as possible in curating our trips with care for the planet. That is why all of our trips are flightless in destination, fully carbon offset - and we have ambitious plans to be net zero in the very near future.
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