Freedom on the Net is a comprehensive annual study of global Internet freedom.
Now, on its fifth year, the Freedom on the Net report for 2014 covered significant developments that occurred between May 2013 and May 2014 in 65 countries.
The study noted how global Internet freedom has consistently declined in the past four years. Out of the 65 countries assessed this year, 36 showed a negative trajectory while the study was being conducted.
The report also highlighted how various governments attempted to manipulate the online activity of users by blocking apps, setting limits on contents, filtering sites and blocking them eventually, and snooping.
The assessment of the countries was based on responses to three categories of questions: obstacles to access, limits on content and violations of user rights. Each country has its own report authors and advisors who worked hand in hand with the Freedom House research team. Apart from the scores, each country was also analyzed thoroughly in the report.
The key findings from the Freedom on the Net 2014 report revealed that 1) there were 41 countries that either passed or proposed legislation on penalizing online speech, increasing the government's power to manipulate content or expand government surveillance 2) arrests and detentions in the regions of the Middle East and North Africa were documented and 3) independent news websites faced a dramatic increase in pressure, based on attacks made against journalists and the governments' move to license and regulate web platforms.
The governments of Russia and China have both been placed at the forefront when it comes to licensing and regulating the web.
Russian president Vladimir Putin has created new regulations that block webpages that display "anti-government" sentiments. Moreover, the government has also signed a new law requiring all online sites to store their data in Russia.
As a result, Google, the second most popular search engine in Russia, decided to move its engineering office out of the country.
China has so far remained a cause of concern for a number of Internet companies based in the West. The country has already blocked Facebook and Twitter. It also recently barred access to Gmail.
Most users hope that the Internet becomes a permission-free network where people are allowed to conduct their online activities without any restriction and without having to fear government punishment.
However, most governments have a different way of viewing the web. Tech experts say that conflict between web users and governments is expected to arise in 2015.
"The Internet is a crucial medium not just for personal communication or news and information, but for political participation and civic engagement. The struggle for Internet freedom is consequently inseparable from the struggle for freedom of every kind," Freedom House stated.
