Freedom on the Net 2018: The Rise of Digital Authoritarianism

Freedom House's Freedom on the Net 2018 full report puts out a thorough and well-researched report on the global state of internet freedom, security, privacy, and activism. The report surveys 65 countries, the greater majority of all countries with internet access, and reports their individual internet freedom scores in comparison to last year. Among the salient topics reported on is China's growing and strengthening internet control model which includes several technology control points such as the Great Firewall, the use of facial-recognition AI software and technology, and persistent cyber attacks against political dissidents. The survey serves to show how internet freedom and privacy is changing on a global and political scale and best illustrates these changes though specific incidents that happened in 2018 and through thorough internet freedom indices. The report concludes on ways that individual governments, corporations, and people could help protect democracy in this new internet age.