Censorship: U.S. and Germany offer 'Open' and 'Free' Internet

by Steven Mostyn - Apr 18 2011, 14:15

A new NGO Freedom House report focusing on the Internet, and how ‘free’ or ‘censored’ it is across 37 countries around the world, has been released this week—and it makes for interesting reading.

According to the report’s findings, countries such as Estonia, the USA, Germany and Australia are all the places to be if you’re looking to enjoy a largely open and free Internet experience.

However, if censorship is something that floats your online boat, then plugging in your Ethernet cable should be sought out in China, Saudi Arabia and Iran—the latter of which emerged as the worst country put beneath the microscope.

The report evaluated countries on a sliding scale of openness beginning at zero, which marked a completely ‘Free’ and open Internet, and 100, which was labeled as ‘Not Free’ and denoted an Internet rife with censorship.

Estonia currently leads the world with an impressive score of 10, while the USA follows close behind with 13 and Germany rounds out the top three with 16.

Meanwhile, at the less desirable end of the table, Iran brings up the rear with a shocking score of 89, while the likes of China and Saudi Arabia fair poorly with 83 and 70 respectively. 

Despite the fairly decent positioning of major Internet nations such as the USA, Germany and the UK (which scored a ‘Free’ 25), the study’s authors were keen to outline that even the world’s more open and free countries walk a fine line where Internet censorship is concerned.

“One aspect of censorship was evident across the full spectrum of countries studies: the arbitrariness and opacity surrounding decision to restrict particular content…” the report warned.

“Even in more transparent, democratic environment, censorship decision are often made by private entities and without public discussion, and appeals processes may be onerous, little known, or nonexistent,” it added.

The Global Assessment of Internet and Digital Media Freedom can be viewed in its entirety by clicking here.

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