(C) Freedom House This story was originally published by Freedom House and is unaltered. . . . . . . . . . . Internet Freedom in Europe Declined in 2024 [1] [] Date: 2024-10 WASHINGTON—Internet freedom in Europe declined over the past year, with three countries under review experiencing deterioration and only one recording a net gain, according to a new report released today by Freedom House. Freedom House analyzed online rights in 10 countries in the region. The report, Freedom on the Net 2024: The Struggle for Trust Online, attributed the region’s decline in part to increased online surveillance. Content manipulation and censorship were also problems in certain countries. Ahead of December 2023 elections in Serbia, for example, online progovernment media outlets actively campaigned for the ruling party. In Turkey, the government imprisoned Kurdish politicians for their social media posts and blocked virtual private network (VPN) services. In a more promising development, countries across the European Union (EU) began implementing the Digital Services Act, which compels social media platforms and search engines to standardize content removal processes, boost transparency, and bolster risk mitigation measures. One EU member state, the Netherlands, was assessed for the first time in this year’s edition of Freedom on the Net, debuting as the world’s sixth freest environment out of 72 countries under analysis. Other findings on Europe include: Europe remained the top-performing region in Freedom on the Net. Of the 10 countries assessed in the region, eight were rated Free. physically attacked or killed in retaliation for their online speech and activism in three out of 10 countries assessed. Progovernment commentators manipulated the online information space in three out of 10 countries assessed. Highest and lowest scores: Iceland earned the highest score in the region, with 94 points on the report’s 100-point scale, and was rated Free. Turkey, with 31, was the lowest-scoring country in the region and was rated Not Free, though it was also the only country of the 10 to improve its score during the year, gaining 1 point. Biggest declines: Estonia (92), Serbia (70), and the United Kingdom (78) accounted for the region’s three overall score declines, with each suffering a net loss of 1 point. Beyond Europe, Freedom on the Net 2024 found that global internet freedom declined for the 14th consecutive year. Governments in at least 25 of the 72 countries under analysis cut off internet access, restricted access to social media platforms, or blocked websites hosting political, social, and religious speech during electoral periods, often with the intention of shaping the results. Governments also turned to arrests, violence, and other forms of repression to silence online speech outside of electoral periods. In at least 56 countries, internet users were arrested due to their political, social, or religious expression. People were physically attacked or killed in retaliation for their online activities in a record high of at least 43 countries. Some of the most serious abuses took place in the context of armed conflicts. Internet shutdowns amid such fighting plunged civilians into information vacuums, prevented journalists from reporting on the violence, and hampered the delivery of lifesaving aid. [END] --- [1] Url: https://freedomhouse.org/article/fotn-2024-europe-release Published and (C) by Freedom House Content appears here under this condition or license: Creative Commons. via Magical.Fish Gopher News Feeds: gopher://magical.fish/1/feeds/news/freedomhouse/