How free is the internet? These days, it comes down to where you live. Many countries crack down on our online freedoms by restricting access to certain websites and services or prosecuting those who share anti-governmental rhetoric.
According to the 2021 Freedom House Freedom on the Net index, 75% of all internet users live in countries where individuals have been arrested or imprisoned for posting content on political, social, or religious issues. At least 55 countries have investigated, arrested, or convicted people for their social media posts.
The report assessed 70 countries around the world and assigned them a score between 0 and 100; the higher the number, the more free a country's internet is. China scored only a 10, while Iran and Myanmar each failed to reach 20. Cuba, Vietnam, Saudi Arabia, Pakistan, Egypt, Ethiopia, and United Arab Emirates rounded out the bottom 10 countries.
It's also worth noting that both sides of the current Russo-Ukrainian War scored poorly on the index. Russia scored 30 points—placing the country in 11th place on the list—just as social media sites have been blocked in response to US sanctions. But Ukraine was awarded just 62 points, marking it a partially free country only.
The Freedom House assessed 88% of internet users around the world and found that 39% were not free—mostly in Asia and the Middle East—while 28% were only partially free—Central and South America, Africa, Southeast Asia, and Ukraine. Just 21% were determined to be free; these live mainly in the US, Canada, Europe, Japan, and Australia.
Of the countries that scored highest the last year, Iceland was at the top with 96 points. Estonia was close behind with 94 points, and then Canada, Costa Rica, and Taiwan followed with scores in the 80s. The United States scored 75 points, likely because it has prosecuted people for what they wrote on Twitter.