Digital Rights

The final quarter of 2024 saw an increase in the criminal prosecution of journalists at home and in absentia, more searches of journalists’ homes and offices, and broader censorship. 

7amleh’s report examines how Israel’s digital repression silences Palestinian voices, restricts online spaces, and deepens systemic injustice.

Journalists, lawyers and other Human Rights Defenders in Lebanon working in the context of the war report severe attacks on those exercising their freedom of expression; these include killings, physical attacks, pressures to censor their work, and online intimidation.

The report highlights direct testimonies from Palestinian influencers, journalists, and media outlets who have faced Meta’s discriminatory practices.

Zambia’s proposed Cyber Security Bill, 2024, and Cyber Crimes Bill, 2024 risk exacerbating the shortcomings of the 2021 law by introducing more regressive provisions.

The report names three types of indirect censorship that are evident in the region and are being used to stifle freedom of expression: stigmatization; forms of social control facilitated by new technologies with surveillance capacity; and the judicialization of freedom of expression on matters of public interest.

The #MeToo movement to empower women’s voices spurred the creation of new media outlets, revisions to newsroom policies, and the development of new journalist networks. Yet investigating women’s rights remains dangerous.

Three press freedom organizations called on authorities in Guinea-Bissau to accept and implement recommendations to improve its press freedom record at the country’s January 2025 Universal Periodic Review (UPR).

The report found over 228 violations of press freedom, and at least eight journalists remain arbitrarily imprisoned.

7amleh’s report exposes bias against Palestinian rights advocacy in tech, urging companies to protect employees’ freedom of expression.

In September – October of 2024 the IMI recorded 27 crimes against the media and journalists committed by Russia: murder, threats, opening fire on journalists and shelling media offices, cyber attacks, and legal pressure.

This report shows the urgent need to focus on the economic reconstruction of the sector and estimates that $96 million is needed over three years to ensure the future of independent media outlets.

The aim of this paper is to provide a better understanding of the transnational changes shaping digital trade with a view to informing how these might be reflected in holistic policy design and implementation in the African context.

Azerbaijan is carrying out a vicious attack on government critics, independent groups, and media. The crackdown has intensified just months before Azerbaijan is to host COP29, the United Nations Climate Change Conference, which opens in Baku on 11 November 2024.

Africa’s Electoral Democracy and Technology: Pitfalls and Promises

Included among the concerns raised is the systematic misuse of the country’s legal system to criminalise critical expression towards the government or its policies.

The report explores in detail the 756 media freedom violations recorded by the MFRR partners in the first half of 2024. These violations affected 1,212 media-related persons or entities. 474 of these alerts were recorded in EU Member States while 282 took place in candidate countries.

A study of the evolving disinformation landscape identifies key protagonists involved in the pushback and the tactics they employ to curb the escalating challenge.

This new study from 7amleh reveals how online harassment and cyber surveillance of young Palestinians has sparked a chilling rise in self-censorship.

OpenMedia’s research report sheds light on dozens of secretive businesses that handle people’s sensitive voting behaviour data on behalf of federal political parties in Canada – with few effective rules limiting their actions.

ARTICLE 19 examines how the Iranian regime is strengthening its hold over the internet through its Supreme Council of Cyberspace (SCC), with ever-increasing powers and under a new hardline leadership.

7amleh reveals how the EU legislation contains significant loopholes that could exacerbate human rights violations against Palestinians.

In the first quarter of 2024, at least 210 journalists and media workers stood trial in 123 court cases. Nineteen journalists were sentenced in 16 of the 37 cases that concluded during the reporting period, while at least 10 new cases were filed against journalists.

The report highlights that the rise of the internet has led to an increase in blasphemy prosecutions in Pakistan. The misuse of blasphemy laws has a chilling effect on freedom of expression online. Religious minorities are particularly vulnerable to blasphemy accusations.

SMEX examines platform content moderation policies for sexual and reproductive health and rights in the West Asia and North Africa (WANA) region.

A new study examines discrimination and censorship concerns within the EU, affecting both Palestinians and global advocates for Palestinian human rights.

The report raises concerns about the use of spyware, SLAPPs and journalists in exile.

An average of 23 violent or hateful pieces of content were published against Palestinians every minute after 7 October, reports 7amleh.

An overview of the threats and dangers posed by AI tech on Palestinians and advocates.

The Hungarian government’s interference with media freedom and pluralism, part of its systematic attack on the rule of law, obstructs the work of independent journalists in holding the authorities to account and prevents the public from accessing information.

This report examines media capture in Greece through the four indicators of media capture: capture of private media, capture of public media, capture of the system of funding media and capture of media regulators.

Human Rights Watch found that the problem stems from flawed Meta policies and their inconsistent and erroneous implementation, overreliance on automated tools to moderate content, and undue government influence over content removals.

A total 52 incidents of press freedom violations were recorded in 2023, while Freedom Forum’s annual media report shows the severe impact of the economic downturn on Nepali media.

The report provides an overview on the reality of the Israeli surveillance systems industry, outlines its impact on the human rights of Palestinians and implications worldwide.

Journalists living in exile face assault, harassment, and unlawful deportation at the hands of the governments they fled.

In this report, EFF explores a new approach to tackling online harms leaving behind strategies based on ill-conceived bills and censorship-driven solutions.

When PEN America and Meedan asked writers, journalists, and creators about their experiences reporting online abuse to social media platforms, thet heard again and again, over the past three years, about the deep frustration, exasperation, and harm caused by the reporting mechanisms themselves.

Freedom House has found that while innovations in AI contributed to the 13th consecutive year of global decline in internet freedom, older forms of digital repression continued to proliferate.

Joint press freedom mission to Greece concludes with a call on the government to show political courage and take specific measures to improve the climate for independent journalism.

Two years after historic July 11 Demonstrations in Cuba, the plight of writers and artists forced Into exile underscores the drastic deterioration of artistic freedom on the island.

A report from Bytes for All showed that Pakistan faced 24 network shutdowns in 2022, which is 58% higher than in 2021.

This report outlines the volume, nature, and patterns of inflammatory and violent speech in Hebrew directed at the village of Huwara on Twitter between the beginning of the year and the end of March, which contributed to the implementation of a number of attacks by settlers on the villagers and their properties and causing harm to them.

Survey finds that 90% of fact-checking outlets in Europe have been the target of online harassment and smear campaigns.

The Unfreedom Monitor report provides insights into the current state of freedom in Venezuela and highlights challenges faced by journalists and media in the country.

This report analyses two major incidents: the disclosure that Pegasus spyware has been used against journalists from independent media outlets and representatives of civil society, and Bukele’s legal advisor’s threats against two women journalists for not revealing anonymous sources included in a news story.

The report traces this form of censorship done through blocking of websites, applications, and social media accounts in India.

A methodology for tracking digital authoritarianism around the world.

The European Union is facing numerous challenges as it seeks new ways to uphold its commitment to press freedom. This special report examines the EU’s response to threats such as murders of journalists, pandemic-related media controls, spyware, and the war in Ukraine.

Perpetrators from a total of 20 states were responsible for 79 incidents of physical transnational repression last year, including the first documented cases originating in Djibouti and Bangladesh.

Marking 50 years in the struggle for democracy

The report reveals a continued degradation of press freedom across the continent. Throughout 2022, the Platform documented 289 alerts concerning 37 countries, with journalists being murdered, imprisoned, physically attacked, legally harassed, and subjected to smear campaigns.

The study showed that Indonesian female journalists have experienced various forms of sexual violence in the workplace and in the course of fulfilling their duties in the field.

The report examines the use of digital targeting by security forces and its far-reaching offline consequences – including arbitrary detention and torture – in five countries: Egypt, Iraq, Jordan, Lebanon, and Tunisia.

PI welcomes the inclusion of a provision on confidentiality and privacy. But there are still significant gaps in the zero draft which need to be addressed to ensure the treaty puts the respect and protection of human rights at the centre of the prevention and response to future pandemics including ensuring the effective regulation of the private-sector entities.

Research carried out by the IPC and the MFWA indicates that the challenges faced by women journalists in doing their work include harassment, sexual advances, threats, and prejudice.

140 media freedom violations were recorded in Ukraine alone, which amount to 17.2% of the total registered in all analysed countries. The war in Ukraine also accounted for nine of the 10 killings of journalists during the year.

This report diagnoses the state of digital freedoms, and outlines the most prominent patterns of digital rights violations and their trends during 2022.

A rise in serious violations against journalists last year included the murder of Shireen Abu Akleh and Ghufran Warasneh, documents a new report from Mada Center.

BAJ’s review of 2022 highlights 33 journalists in prison, 17 heavy prison sentences, and nine media outlets classified as “extremist organisations”.

This report aims to capture the full complexity of how encryption affects children’s lives. It sets out principles for an approach to encryption that recognises and respects the full range of their rights.

Press freedom violations in Bangladesh, April-September 2022.

With the advancement of access to the internet and the consequent manifold increase in using the internet as a platform for exercising speech and expression, there has also been an increase in censorship of expression. The report traces this form of censorship carried out through the blocking of websites, applications, and social media accounts in India.

The previous decade has witnessed an exponential increase in internet shutdowns in India with a total count of 690, out of which 110 had been implemented in the year 2021. The year 2022 has seen 75 shutdowns till the publication of this report.

The Declaration of Principles for content and platform governance in times of crisis is an effort to advance consistent and rights-respecting principles for companies to respond appropriately to crises and meet their obligations and responsibilities under international human rights law.

Gender-based violence has seen a dramatic increase in the Palestinian digital space over the last several years, reveals this new report from 7amleh.

The Unfreedom Monitor is a project to analyze, document, and report on the growing use of digital communications technology to advance authoritarian governance around the world.

A report published by the Gulf Centre for Human Rights to mark the International Day to End Impunity

The report captures growing anxiety among artists and creative practitioners across South, Southeast, East, and Central Asia around stringent security laws, the lack of unencumbered spaces for free expression, and the impact of authoritarian measures to crack down on artistic production and criminalize free expression.

Countering an authoritarian overhaul of the internet

In a new report, Privacy International explores the human rights implications of end-to-end encryption, and rejects proposals by governments, intelligence agencies and law enforcement agencies for access to the content of or the banning of this type of communication.

A new report from Freedom House highlights the Beijing government’s global campaign to shape public opinion and secure both its hold on power in China and its policy priorities abroad.

The report by the outgoing UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Michelle Bachelet, contains victim accounts that substantiate mass arbitrary detention, torture, cultural persecution, forced labor, and other serious human rights violations, and recommends that states, businesses, and the international community take action with a view to ending the abuses, and advancing justice and accountability.

With almost all independent media institutions eradicated, Cambodian people have been forced to rely largely on social media and other online platforms to access news and information.

In July 2022, ARTICLE 19 documented a number of concerning cases in which individuals were prosecuted for allegedly blasphemous speech. Malaysian authorities have investigated individuals under Section 298A of the Penal Code, Section 233 of the Communications and Multimedia Act, and the Sedition Act.

Human Rights Watch documents a range of tactics that, when used together, form an ecosystem of repression, aiming not only to muzzle dissenting voices but to scare off all potential critics.

New survey demonstrates an urgent need for comprehensive privacy and data protection Palestinian legislation that can protect all citizens’ right to privacy and ensure accountability.

This report sheds light on the issue of privacy and data protection in Palestine, examining the extent to which Palestinians’ privacy is respected and personal data protected.

The study mapped the capacity, knowledge, and needs of various stakeholders from government, civil society, private sector, and academia in relation to their work on content moderation.

Effective content moderation in a big and diverse country such as Indonesia requires a transparent and sustainable dialogue between platforms and local civil society groups.

With a focus on Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH) and as a contribution to the Social Media 4 Peace project, implemented by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) with partner ARTICLE 19, this report explores the local-specific contextual concerns stemming from global, non-transparent, and profit-driven content moderation processes of social media.

This report presents a summary analysis of research on current practices of content moderation in Bosnia and Herzegovina, Indonesia ‘harmful content’ such as ‘hate speech ’, and Kenya, with a specific focus on and disinformation.

Physical transnational repression is only the tip of an iceberg. Digital threats, spyware, and coercion by proxy means that – for millions of people around the world – transnational repression has become a common and institutionalised practice.

Freedom Forum published its annual World Press Freedom Day report which highlighted the attacks against journalists in Nepal over the past year.

A new research by Media Matters for Democracy looks into the policies of the government and the experience of Pakistan in improving access to internet connection.

The guide was developed in response to the growing threat of digital surveillance and cyber security legislation, used by governments and others to track and monitor journalists in their efforts to harass and muzzle journalists from carrying out their work.

The Centre for Independent Journalism has published a brief about the state of media in Malaysia, the impact of the pandemic, and its recommendations to the Malaysian government on upholding freedom of expression.

Maharat Foundation and Madanyat Association work with UN Women to monitor television and social media1 concerning violence against women in politics in the period prior to the 2022 parliamentary elections. This summary provides a quick overview of the findings during the months of February and March.

Writers and public intellectuals have been unjustly locked up for their exercise of free expression; dozens are currently serving sentences of 10 years or more for their words.

Uganda is ranked 116th out of 130 countries in the 2021 Network Readiness Index which assesses the application and impact of technology in economies around the world. Compared to her neighbours Kenya, Rwanda and Tanzania, Uganda scores lowest on GSMA’s Mobile Connectivity Index, which measures key enablers of mobile internet adoption such as infrastructure, affordability, content and services.

The democratic revolution in West Africa over the past three decades has come under a strain in the past few years with serious implications for press freedom and the civic space.

According to the BCHR Annual Report, the human rights situation did not improve in 2021. The authorities are still intolerant to dissent and criticism and restrict Bahrainis’ exercise of internationally-guaranteed fundamental rights.

This report analyzes 100 judgments on cybercrime cases made by local courts in Nepal.

Report of the 1-15 December 2021 joint fact-finding mission. The partner organisations conclude that challenges to the independence of the media and the safety of journalists are systemic in the country. While the problems are not unique, their intensity is highly problematic and sets it apart from most other EU Member States.

This report, supported by UNESCO’s Global Media Defense Fund, provides an overview of violence against women journalists and gender-based attacks on communicators in Brazil in 2021.

Submission in response to the call for comments by the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights as input for the report on internet shutdowns and human rights to the fiftieth session of the Human Rights Council in June 2022.

Attacked while covering demonstrations, harassed online for reporting on COVID�19 and measures to fight it, or sued by private companies trying to avoid publication of damaging information. These are just some examples of the threats received by journalists and media workers in Europe in 2021.

“This report, which is rich with documented facts and detailed case studies, confirms that torture in the UAE is systematic. Furthermore, as a totalitarian state, torture is carried out on direct instructions from the highest authorities in the country.”

This 82-page report from Reporters Without Borders (RSF) details Beijing’s strategy to control access to information within and beyond its borders.

While privacy has become ever more crucial in the world where digital technologies are key to livelihoods and rights, there are insufficient protections for the right to privacy in many African countries.

Read the BASICS to find out how online surveillance works. Dive into our TOOL GUIDES for instructions to installing our pick of the best, most secure applications. We have more detailed information in our FURTHER LEARNING sections. If you’d like a guided tour, look for our list of common SECURITY SCENARIOS.

The report highlights digital rights violations of Palestinians and pro-Palestinian advocates online, at the hands of the three authorities, as well as different social media companies in relation to the escalations and developments on the ground.

The Alliance of Independent Journalists releases its annual report on the state of media freedom in Indonesia. It documented 43 cases of violence against journalists throughout 2021.

The internet plays a vital role in the realisation of human development and facilitates the enjoyment of several human rights and freedoms, including the right to freedom of expression and information, the right to education, the right to assembly and association. Over the last few years, Africa has experienced exponential growth in internet access spurred by mobile internet, which stood at 28% penetration in 2020.

The specific focus of this report is on the intersections between freedoms of speech, expression and press, the right to privacy and governments’ responses to the pandemic.

This report focuses on the progress made regarding the state of broadcasting and digital migration in Angola, Botswana, South Africa and Zimbabwe.

This brief explores the repressive elements of media and technology-related laws in Sudan and how they have been used to undermine freedom of expression and other civil liberties in the aftermath of president Omar al-Bashir’s April 2019 overthrow.

Journalists in most MENA countries continue to face all forms of repression, intimidation, and harassment, including the use of the judiciary to prevent them from carrying out their professional journalistic work. The Gulf Centre for Human Rights (GCHR) has documented many cases of journalists murdered or abused, most carried out with total impunity.

The space for free expression in Pakistan continues to shrink with the media facing attacks on all fronts. Pakistan Press Foundation (PPF) has observed an alarming trend during 2021 where not only did physical attacks against the media continue with impunity but the state level push to restrict free expression also grew.

The media in Pakistan works within an increasingly repressive environment with the attacks on press freedom coming from all fronts. While physical attacks including abductions, manhandling, arrests and in some instances killings of journalists for their work continue, as online spheres such as social media platforms are of growing importance to the work of media professionals, journalists become the subject of attacks online.

Worryingly, many African countries have passed legislation that limits anonymity and the use of encryption, purportedly to aid governments’ efforts to combat terrorism and crime. Other governments limit the use of encryption to enable them to monitor the communications of critical journalists, human rights defenders, and opposition politicians.

Surveillance has become a principal threat to digital rights in Africa, a weakening force to civil society and independent voices, and ultimately a driver of authoritarianism.

Ministerial Regulation 5 governs the functioning of private electronic systems operators (ESOs) accessible in Indonesia which include social media platforms, search engines, ecommerce platforms, games, and communications services.

The study indicates a noticeable increase in the use of hate speech among Palestinians on social media platforms, influenced by events and tensions in regional politics, as well as by global events generally. Hate speech is influenced by internal disturbances and changes in the Palestinian scene, particularly at the social and political levels, whether In the West Bank, Gaza Strip, Jerusalem, or in the 1948 territories.

This report by the Free Media Movement provides an overview of the state of media freedom in Sri Lanka in 2020.

In the high-stakes battle between states and technology companies, the rights of internet users have become the main casualties. A growing number of governments are asserting their authority over tech firms, often forcing the businesses to comply with online censorship and surveillance.

In this analysis, ARTICLE 19 reviews the Ministerial Order the Ministerial Order for its compliance with international freedom of expression standards. The Order was approved by the National Security Council of Spain and published on 30 October 2020 by the Minister of the Presidency.

This Bytes for All report maps Pakistan’s internet landscape highlighting digital trends and their impact on socio-economic developments, as well as challenges and threats in the digital age during 2019-20.

This study seeks to identify the reality of privacy and protection of digital personal data in Palestine1 in terms of the collection, processing and use of Palestinian users’ data. It addresses some of the human rights violations faced by Palestinian users as well as the key parties that violate their data privacy.

The report describes the types of violence and threats journalists encounter, along with the nature and frequency of different types of violations.

Around 80 cases of political and civil rights violations were documented by Globe International Center in its latest media freedom report in Mongolia.

Today, governments across the globe are arguing for new powers to regulate the internet within their countries’ borders for national security, economic health, and other fundamental reasons.

The Public Prosecution needs to stop monitoring internet users out of respect for the privacy of citizens. The decision to establish the Monitoring and Analysis Unit (MAU) contradicts a number of laws and legal principles, not to mention the lack of transparency about the way it conducts its work.

Over the years, many African countries have enacted laws and adopted policies that impact on privacy, including those that facilitate surveillance and the collection of biometric data, and others that limit the use of encryption. This has facilitated increased state surveillance across the continent that is accelerating interference with various rights and freedoms.

The Hong Kong press industry faced increasing threats in the past 12 months. Suppression from the authorities is felt across different forms of media; freedoms have seriously deteriorated under a repressive government.

This briefing paper first explains internet restrictions that the NLD-led government put in place before the coup. It then sets out a timeline of the implementation of internet restrictions since 1 February.

Digital sex crimes are crimes involving non-consensual intimate images. These crimes are a form of gender-based violence, using digital images that are captured non-consensually and sometimes shared, captured with consent but shared non-consensually, or sometimes faked.

If implemented responsibly, AI has the potential to promote the enjoyment of human rights. However, there is a real risk that commercial and state use has a detrimental impact on human rights

Most Somalis have little knowledge or say over how their sensitive biometric data is used or shared.

The Israeli state routinely surveils and severely restricts Palestinians’ freedom of movement using myriad technologies, including biometrics, which result in furthering the policies of systemic segregation.

This research shows how the U.S. Department of Defense’s biometric programme was developed and implemented without prior assessment of its human rights impact and without the safeguards necessary to prevent its abuse. Its whereabouts and current use today remain unclear.

As the Expression Interrupted platform, which has been operating as part of the Platform for Independent Journalism (P24) since 2017, we present our first periodic report with the aim of sharing the results of our efforts to track violations of freedom of expression and the press in Turkey with the general public more effectively.

Privacy International (PI) welcomes the call for submissions by the UN Special Rapporteur on the promotion and protection of the right to freedom of opinion and expression to inform the Special Rapporteur’s report on ‘disinformation’ and freedom of expression. The issues highlighted in the call for submissions are ones that PI with its global network of partners3 has been investigating as part of its work on the use of personal data, and the hidden ecosystem involved, in the online political campaigning context.

The outbreak of COVID-19 in 2020 further threatened the already precarious safety of journalists and media sustainability challenges in West Africa. Despite the obvious risks and challenges, journalists and other media workers navigated partial and full lockdowns to gather news about the coronavirus disease and filed reports often using unstable internet connections, to keep the public informed.

IFEX member Globe International Center has released its annual report which details the activities, campaigns, and programs it implemented in 2020.

While a great number of people now use ICT for a growing range of tasks, many persons with disabilities in Africa still find it hard to access and use digital technologies. As a result, they continue to miss out on the potential digital dividends.

Hate speech has long been pervasive in Pakistani society, especially directed towards individuals and groups belonging to minority faiths (and those of no faith). Those not following the majority’s Sunni faith, are given different titles and labels while several stereotypes are associated with different faiths, sects and religions, including Christians, Hindus, Ahmadis, Sikhs and Shias. However, when it comes to online spaces where more and more people are joining different social media platforms to express their views and share their opinions (or those of others whom they support), these labels, titles and stereotypes get hugely amplified, attracting widespread attention across whole communities.

The Arab Spring erupted a decade ago, yet the reasons behind this wave of uprisings remain unaddressed. The Arab Spring’s aftermath continues to ripple across the region, even in Tunisia, the only country that had progressed to democratic transition. These ripple effects have coalesced into unique forms, depending on the country. In countries such as Egypt, political repression has deepened, while the struggle over societal values are simply surface indicators of deeply entrenched issues. Meanwhile, armed conflict prevails in Yemen, Libya, Syria, and Iraq, where civil society has embraced a heroic role in its traditional and modern forms of organization. In Tunisia, Sudan, and Lebanon, where there is relative freedom, the political frontlines are clearer.

In this annual report, GCHR presents a summary of our e#orts in advocating for HRDs, activists, journalists and citizens in exercising their human rights and freedoms and protecting these rights in the region.

To mark International Women’s Day, RSF has published this report that reveals the extent of the dangers of sexist and sexual violence for women journalists, and its impact on journalism.

The fight against the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic in Kenya, Tanzania, and Uganda has dealt a blow to the promotion and preservation of human rights in the region. Moreover, the outbreak of COVID-19 could not have come at a worse time, as the countries were preparing for their respective general elections.

Along with other civil liberties organizations and activists, EFF has long warned that Amazon Ring and other networked home surveillance devices could be used to monitor political activity and protests. Now we have documented proof that our fears were founded.

The Global Scale and Scope of Transnational Repression

Assessing the Legal Framework concerning device seizures in Lebanon.

In creating this manual, ARC aspires to offer concrete recommendations and provide a comprehensive tool kit to help artists navigate, counter, and overcome threats and persecution.

While EFF hopes to work with President Biden on a wide range of policies that affect digital rights in the coming years, it focuseshere on the ones that need his immediate attention and ask that he change course on the previous policies and practices discussed below.

This study examines the impact of the gender digital divide on women in Pakistan during the coronavirus pandemic.

Freedom Forum recorded a total of 96 press freedom violations during 2020. Although the number of violations declined slightly compared to the previous year (111 in 2019), the country still awaits an improvement in the press freedom atmosphere.

In 2020 Pakistani media was confronted with unique new challenges, both in terms of content to cover as well as in the nature of the measures restricting press freedom and the free flow of information in the country.

The mission was organised in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic, the sharp rise in targeting of media by regulators, increased physical attacks on journalists and a new restrictive law on social media with the potential to impose further limitations on the remaining spaces for independent reporting and public commentary.

The protesters’ complaints about the government’s anti-democratic nature have been underscored by the authorities’ response to the protests. The government has harassed and obstructed protest organisers at every turn. At least 173 individuals have been charged because of their role in protests this year.

Since the outbreak of COVID-19, various technologies have been deployed by citizens, NGOs, start-ups, private companies, universities and governments to aid the fight against COVID-19.

The coronavirus pandemic is accelerating a dramatic decline in global internet freedom. For the 10th consecutive year, users have experienced an overall deterioration in their rights, and the phenomenon is contributing to a broader crisis for democracy worldwide.

Government ordered Internet shutdowns are fast becoming a key tactic to disconnect people from each other and to prevent us from scrutinising our governments’ actions.

During nation-wide protests in November 2019 Iran’s government cut off the Internet for over 80 million people.  As the shutdown continued the authorities attacked and killed hundreds.

In recent months, since the beginning of the coronavirus pandemic, the internet has been flooded with misinformation and fake news about the coronavirus. This led 7amleh to urgently consider how to more effectively research and monitor the phenomena of fake news in Palestine and engage the public in a conversation about media literacy, misinformation and fake news.

In recent years, social media platforms have been taking down online content more often and more quickly, often in response to the demands of governments, but in a way that prevents the use of that content to investigate people suspected of involvement in serious crimes, including war crimes.

The aim of this report is to present a series of abuses identified by our organisation during the state of emergency during the COVID-19 crisis. We have identified and exposed in this period actions of state actors that have threatened, affected or directly attacked fundamental rights such as the right to freedom of expression, the right to information and, implicitly, media freedom.

More than 50 human rights groups have written to the UN’s Special Rapporteurs on freedom of expression, freedom of assembly and association, and human rights in Belarus over disruptions to the internet that took place during the presidential elections.

Since the release of ANHRI’s first report in 2004 tackling the Internet and Arab governments, which is published every two years, the fight is still going on. The issue has not been resolved for either of the conflicting parties: whether the governments with their various institutions or the Arab peoples who are using the Internet and seek change in the world.

This report by Digital Rights Foundation looks into the extent of information disorder in Pakistan and the efforts of various stakeholders to combat disinformation.

Key Finding: Governments harness big data for social media surveillance

IMPUNITY, JOURNALIST SAFETY AND WORKING CONDITIONS IN SOUTH EAST ASIA

In a note shared by email on 12 September, MISA said journalists were prevented from covering political events by party members.

Media control in Zimbabwe bears its origins in colonial policies.

In the months leading up to the elections, mis- and disinformation spread widely across social media platforms, Facebook in particular. Its impact on the electoral process, voter turnout and public opinion became a major concern expressed by various parties, including civil society organizations and the country’s independent electoral authority.

A deep split that exists within Ethiopia’s ruling coalition – the Ethiopian People’s Revolutionary Democratic Front (the EPRDF) – was made evident over the last few weeks when a Facebook row broke out between two major political party members who disagreed on the historical accounts of Ethiopia as a modern state.

Africa’s landscape of online free speech and dissent has gradually, but consistently, been tightened in recent years. In 2018 in particular, the cost of speaking out – both legally and economically – was on the rise across the continent.

Across Africa, governments and nongovernmental political actors repeatedly deploy tactics to interfere with users’ rights to freedom of expression and access to information online, particularly during events of major political significance.

Since President John Magufuli came to power in 2015, Tanzania has seen a sharp backslide in respect for basic freedoms of association and expression, undermining both media freedoms and civil society. While some restrictive trends may have predated his term, they have intensified since he became president.

An analysis of what Facebook, Google, and Twitter have done to provide users with political ad transparency as of September 2019.

Repressive governments use sophisticated digital censorship and surveillance alongside more traditional methods to silence independent media. A special report by the Committee to Protect Journalists.

Due to the state’s almost complete control over traditional media, social media platforms have become the main fora for free discussion of ideas and dissent; Facebook users are now the most prosecuted social media users in Egypt.

The mission sought to gather information about challenges to freedom of expression and press freedom in Albania and bring concerns directly to Albanian government representatives.

Artificial Intelligence has the potential to revolutionise societies in positive ways. However, as with any technological advancement, there is a real risk that the use of new tools by states or corporations will have a negative impact on human rights.

MISA Zimbabwe produces a regional assessment on the state of digital rights in Southern Africa and an analysis of the progress of the Digital Terrestrial Television migration of Zimbabwe in comparison to other SADC countries.

An Overview of Digital Rights Abuses of Palestinians

In regards to internet freedom, Africa got off to an awful start in 2019. Internet disruptions were registered in five countries (Chad, Democratic Republic of Congo, Gabon, Sudan and Zimbabwe) within the first three weeks of the year. The disruptions were related to elections, protests against government policies, and, what seemed like a coup attempt.

Media Matters for Democracy has launched its 2018 publication assessing the challenges to media and digital freedoms in Pakistan

In this report, PEN America examines the steps taken by technology companies, government actors, and po- litical parties to curb the influence of fraudulent news in the 2018 U.S. midterm elections.

In his inauguration speech on 24 November 2017 following Mugabe’s ouster, President Mnangagwa, said he would strengthen and ensure the pillars of democracy are respected in Zimbabwe. This raised hope that he would move with speed and implement outstanding socio-economic and political reforms ahead of the 2018 elections. It is common cause that the elections came without implementation of the envisaged reforms.

Previous research has shown how 42.55 percent of free apps on the Google Play store could share data with Facebook, making Facebook the second most prevalent third-party tracker after Google’s parent company Alphabet.1 In this report, Privacy International illustrates what this data sharing looks like in practice, particularly for people who do not have a Facebook account.

Our series of interviews with privacy and gender rights activists across the world reflect nuanced and context specific experiences of the right to privacy.

The internet is growing less free around the world, and democracy itself is withering under its influence.

The level of internet freedom declined due to the new cybersecurity law which strengthened repressive restrictions on online activities.

New technologies continue to present great risks and opportunities for humanitarian action. To ensure that their use does not result in any harm, humanitarian organisations must develop and implement appropriate data protection standards, including robust risk assessments.

Laws passed since Vladimir Putin’s return to the presidency in May 2012 have dramatically strengthened the Russian authorities’ control over the flow of information online and offline. Much of this crackdown has been fuelled by Russia’s foreign policy, in particular its role in the conflict in neighbouring Ukraine and its armed intervention in Syria.

La regulación de la vigilancia estatal constituye uno de los desafíos más significativos plan- teados por la irrupción de las tecnologías de comunicación: aunque esperamos que el apara- to estatal mantenga la seguridad, su capacidad de buscar esos fines infringiendo la privaci- dad crece sin una respuesta normativa.

In June 2018, IPI visited Poland as part of its Ontheline project, which aims to identify best newsroom practices for preventing and better responding to online harassment of journalists.

In this report RSF sheds light on the latest danger for journalists – threats and insults on social networks that are designed to intimidate them into silence.

A quantitative research study on online gender-based harassment in Pakistan

This report will explore the laws and institutions that are in place within Pakistan to deal with issues of online violence against women.

The Cyber Harassment Helpline was launched after the successful completion of the Hamara Internet (translates as “Our Internet”) project, and based on its findings in the “Measuring Pakistani Women’s Experience of Online Violence” report

Exposing and Challenging Government Hacking for Surveillance

Digital rights and freedoms have been severely compromised by national cybercrime legislation and prosecution, and now judicially.

This report documents abuses under section 57 of the ICT Act to warn that any new law should protect rights, not be used to crack down on critics.

While AI impacts a plethora of rights, ARTICLE 19 and Privacy International are particularly concerned about the impact it will have on the right to privacy and the right to freedom of expression and information.

A Baseline Research by the Nigerian Journalists Internet Rights Initiative (NJIRI)

Based on extensive interviews with writers, poets, artists, activists, and others personally affected by the government’s grip on online expression, as well as interviews with anonymous employees at Chinese social media companies, the report lays bare the destructive impact of the Chinese government’s vision of “cyber sovereignty” on netizens who dare to dissent.

The general trend over the past 10 years has been bleak, with an overall negative trajectory for press freedom. The major turning point was the election of Xi Jinping as General Secretary of the Communist Party of China in 2012 and President of China in 2013.

Pakistan has been slow to recognize that violence, threats and harassment faced online by journalists reflects the violence they are exposed to offline. A nationwide survey of working journalists was conducted to ascertain their level of digital insecurity, to record their experiences and the protections they desired from the journalist community, their media organizations, and the government.

Although the internet has the potential to bridge the gender equality gap, it is still a hugely unexplored terrain or many Ghanaian women because of issues of access, affordability and knowhow.

Internet Landscape of Pakistan is an indigenous effort to regularly monitor and document the ongoing trends and challenges that impact digital and human rights in the country. This is the third edition in the series.

The report examines the rise of fraudulent news, defined here as demonstrably false information that is being presented as a factual news report with the intention to deceive the public, and the related erosion of public faith in traditional journalism. The report identifies proposed solutions at the intersection of technology, journalism, and civil society to empower news consumers with better skills and tools to help them process the torrents of information they see online.

The lack of a comprehensive legal framework for privacy rights and data protection in Lebanon has led to the adoption of illegal mass surveillance programs and to the violation of individual and collective privacy without repercussions

MFWA has identified lack of effective internet-specific legal frameworks, inadequate infrastructure and high cost of data as major challenges in the internet sector in West Africa.

Six case studies on Facebook’s internet “On Ramp” initiative from Africa, Asia and Latin America

Since 2012, the Russian authorities have intensified a crackdown on freedom of expression, selectively casting certain kinds of criticism of the government as threats to state security and public stability and introducing significant restrictions to online expression and invasive surveillance of online activity.

In this report we take a closer look on how a traditionally safe space for free speech and expression was transformed into a space of unregulated arbitrary legal practices. We also examine the effect that the ever-changing political objectives, affiliations and temporal objectives all have on the frequency and severity of online political censorship cases.

Internet users from across the globe have come together to create a crowdsourced vision for free expression online. Over 300,000 people from 155 countries worldwide helped shape our roadmap for a Digital Future that includes us all.

A recent HKJA survey indicates a slight rise in the Hong Kong Press Freedom Index after two consecutive years of decline. Journalists on the ground believe that the situation has worsened in 2016, compared to the year before. HKJA chairperson Sham Yee-lan explained that the slight increase in the Press Freedom Index was likely to be related to the emergence of online media, which has led to some diversity in the industry.

This investigation focuses on the techniques, tools and culture of Kenyan police and intelligence agencies’ communications surveillance practices.

This report presents the findings of a three-month study focused on mapping, observing and analysing online harassment of journalists in Hungary. The study aimed to identify the types of harassment journalists are subject to, which journalists are typically harassed, who the harassers are, and how journalists cope with harassment.

The Communist Party of Vietnam (CPV) in 2016 maintained its control over all public affairs and punished those who challenged its monopoly on power. Authorities restricted basic rights, including freedom of speech, opinion, association, and assembly. All religious groups had to register with the government and operate under surveillance. Bloggers and activists faced daily police harassment and intimidation, and were subject to arbitrary house arrest, restricted movement, and physical assaults.

This report provides an overview of the state of online privacy and mass digital surveillance in Lebanon.

On the Syrian government’s ambitious plans and projects to monitor the national communications infrastructure, the technical details of which are revealed for the first time.

Internet freedom has declined for the sixth consecutive year, with more governments than ever before targeting social media and communication apps as a means of halting the rapid dissemination of information, particularly during anti-government protests.

Comparative Analysis of Surveillance Laws and Practices in Latin America

More Space for Criticism but Restrictions Slow Press Freedom Progress

This publication presents the findings of the media development assessment in Mongolia that began in 2012 to determine the state of the media in the country. The assessment was based on the UNESCO/IPDC Media Development Indicators (MDIs), an internationally recognized analytical tool used to provide detailed overviews of national media landscapes and related media development priorities.

This new report continues the documentation of the country’s internet landscape from a critical, human rights perspective.

The report features present FoE practices on internet in Nepal and analyses existing policy, laws and constitution affecting the practice of freedom of expression. It seeks to advance the debate on this topic, thereby augmenting digital rights to make democracy’s pillars more sustainable and more functional.

The report is a frank assessment of the recent regime of online censorship and mass surveillance against a backdrop of longstanding, serious abuses of the judicial process and attacks on freedom of expression by Turkish authorities.

The report surveys the rocky landscape for media and public discourse since the ruling military junta lifted the curtain on the southeast Asian nation in 2012 after five decades of isolation from the modern world.

The Cross Community Working Party on ICANN’s Corporate and Social Responsibility to Respect Human Rights (CCWP-HR) prepared this paper for presentation and discussion at ICANN54 in Dublin in October 2015. This paper is intended to build on and complement the previous reports published by the Council of Europe and ARTICLE 19 on ICANN’s responsibility to respect human rights.

The Pakistani government has significantly expanded its communication interception activities. This Privacy International report covers the intelligence services plan to capture all IP-traffic in Pakistan and other initiatives, pointing to gaps in the laws governing surveillance.

What is the correlation between the online and offline behaviour of Iranian citizens and the likelihood of their arrest in Iran today? Answering this question is the main focus of this new ARTICLE 19 report.

The need to regulate the transfer of surveillance technologies that pose a risk to human rights has been largely recognised by EU institutions and some EU member states. It is no longer a question of if the EU should do more in this area, but how.

In this report, ARTICLE 19 seeks to outline the implications of anonymity and encryption for the right to freedom of expression in the digital age.

Civil Society and Private Sector perceptions

Cambodian Internet users overwhelmingly see the country’s Internet as increasingly becoming more accommodating of free expression but remain concerned about the effects of recently proposed government actions related to Internet surveillance and controls, according to the results of a study by CCIM, which surveyed almost 1,000 Cambodian Internet users from 22 provinces.

There are far too many countries where news and content providers constantly face a very special and formidable form of censorship, one exercised in the name of religion or even God. And with increasing frequency, this desire to thwart freedom of information invokes the hard-to-define and very subjective concept of the “feelings of believers.”

From August 28 to October 15, 2014, PEN American Center carried out an international survey of writers1 , to investigate how government surveillance influences their thinking, research, and writing, as well as their views of government surveillance by the U.S. and its impact around the world.

Internet intermediaries – such as internet service providers, search engines and social media platforms – play a crucial role in enabling people around the world to communicate with each other. Because of their technical capabilities, internet intermediaries are under increasing pressure from governments and interest groups to police online content.

How Large-Scale US Surveillance is Harming Journalism, Law, and American Democracy

Global press freedom has fallen to its lowest level in over a decade, according to the latest edition of Freedom House’s press freedom survey. The decline was driven in part by major regression in several Middle Eastern states, including Egypt, Libya, and Jordan; marked setbacks in Turkey, Ukraine, and a number of countries in East Africa; and deterioration in the relatively open media environment of the United States.

How Large-Scale US Surveillance is Harming Journalism, Law, and American Democracy

International human rights law provides a clear and universal framework for the promotion and protection of the right to privacy, including in the context of domestic and extraterritorial surveillance, the interception of digital communications and the collection of personal data. Practices in many States have, however, revealed a lack of adequate national legislation and/or enforcement, weak procedural safeguards, and ineffective oversight, all of which have contributed to a lack of accountability for arbitrary or unlawful interference in the right to privacy.

Which companies stand with their users, embracing transparency around government data requests? Which companies have resisted improper government demands by fighting for user privacy in the courts and on Capitol Hill? In short, which companies have your back?

Privacy International’s report identifies recent accomplishments from around the world, and highlights significant challenges ahead for this right

World Report 2014 is Human Rights Watch’s 24th annual review of human rights practices around the globe. It summarizes key human rights issues in more than 90 countries and territories worldwide, drawing on events through November 2013

A new bill provides for the immediate blocking of websites with content regarded by the prosecutor’s office as extremist. Inciting hatred or terrorist acts are already grounds for blocking. Now, urging people to participate in unauthorized protests would also be viewed as “extremist.”

This publication provides an overview of the main international standards relevant to the protection of the right to freedom of expression in relation to Information Communication Technologies. It identifies international and regional standards for the protection of key areas of concern, including content regulation, the rights of citizen journalists and bloggers, and access to information

Today, it’s not uncommon to see Gen Y men and women flashing the latest iPhones, Galaxies or tablets. Fun, work and politics are all parts of the nascent online life in Burma

There is some skepticism about how much influence Burma’s youth movement can assert in terms of political change. Still, activists have benefited from greater access to the Internet, which has brought a new side to the online community after decades of heavy censorship

Burma is at a crossroads. The period of transition since 2010 has opened up the space for freedom of expression to an extent unpredicted by even the most optimistic in the country. Yet this space is highly contingent on a number of volatile factors.

ARTICLE 19, Access, English PEN and PEN International welcome the opportunity to contribute to the second cycle of the UPR process of Viet Nam.

This report outlines steps necessary to promote adequate protections for Internet and mobile phone users in Burma, and ways to foster responsible investment in Burma’s telecom sector

Policy paper on digital challenges to freedom of expression in Belarus

Badly Written Provisions and Draconian Punishments Violate Due Process and Free Speech