Turan Information Agency, Azerbaijani Opposition Press
November 1, 2018 Thursday


Internet freedom in Azerbaijan is deteriorating - Freedom House


Baku/01.11.18/Turan: Freedom House, an international human rights
organization, published a report on the state of the world Internet
freedom in 2018 Freedom on the Net 2018. The report says that
governments around the world are stepping up control over citizen
information, using fake news to harass dissent and thus undermine
trust in the Internet and the foundations of democracy. Internet
propaganda and misinformation are increasingly poisoning the digital
realm. All this contributed in 2018 to the decline of Internet
freedom.

At the same time, it is especially noted that China applies and
transfers equipment for tracking users to the Internet to other
countries. Such technology of persecution from Beijing buy Azerbaijan
and Armenia too. The report explores the situation in 65 countries.
Estimates are given on a 100-point scale. At the same time, 0 is an
indicator of higher freedom, - 100 - the lowest freedom. In the
interval 0, the freedoms of the country are assigned, 31-60 -
partially free 61-100 - not free countries. Azerbaijan appeared on the
60th place - on the border between partially free and not free
countries. Azerbaijan is located between Cambodia (59) and Kazakhstan
(61). Azerbaijan"s neighbors Georgia and Armenia occupy 25th and 27th
places. The authors note a decrease of internet freedom in 2017-18.
The transition of Armenia from among partially free countries to the
category of free, according to the authors of the report, is connected
with the decisive role of the velvet revolution in this country. The
three most free countries were Estonia (6 points), Iceland (6 points)
and Canada (15 points). The top five free countries also include the
USA (22 points) and the United Kingdom (23). - 16D06-