How free is the internet? – How Free Is the Internet?

Published on: March 13, 2019 / Update from: March 13, 2019 - Author: Konrad Wolfenstein

Thirty years after his research laid the foundation for the development of the World Wide Web, Tim Berners-Lee is not satisfied with the current state of the Internet. At a Washington Post event marking the 30th anniversary of its founding, he complained that the Internet had been "hijacked" by crooks, citing hate speech, privacy issues and the malicious spread of false information.

Berners-Lee's observations are consistent with a study by Freedom House , which found that the level of freedom online has worsened in recent years. “Disinformation and propaganda spread online have poisoned the public. The rampant collection of personal data has disrupted traditional notions of data protection. And a group of countries are moving toward digital authoritarianism by adopting the Chinese model of widespread censorship and automated surveillance systems. As a result of these trends, global internet freedom declined for the eighth consecutive year in 2018.”

The graphic below, based on Freedom House's findings, shows a world map of internet freedom that categorizes countries in terms of barriers to internet access, restrictions on online content, and violations of user rights. According to the report, China was the worst abuser of internet freedom in 2018, promoting "digital authoritarianism as a way for governments to control their citizens through technology, inverting the concept of the internet as an engine of human liberation."

30 years after his research laid the groundwork for the development of the world wide web, Tim Berners-Lee is not happy with the current state of the internet. Speaking at a Washington Post event marking the 30th anniversary of his creation, he complained that the internet has been “hijacked by crooks”, referring to hate speech, privacy issues and the malicious spreading of false information.

Berners-Lee's observations are in line with research conducted by Freedom House , which found that the level of freedom on the internet has been deteriorating in recent years. “Disinformation and propaganda disseminated online have poisoned the public sphere. The unbridled collection of personal data has broken down traditional notions of privacy. And a cohort of countries is moving towards digital authoritarianism by embracing the Chinese model of extensive censorship and automated surveillance systems. As a result of these trends, global internet freedom declined for the eighth consecutive year in 2018”.

The following chart, based on Freedom House's findings, shows a world map of internet freedom, categorizing countries with respect to obstacles to internet access, limits on online content and violations of user rights. According to the report, China was the worst abuser of internet freedom in 2018, promoting “digital authoritarianism as a way for governments to control their citizens through technology, inverting the concept of the internet as an engine of human liberation”.

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