Internet Freedom in Africa Improved in 2023

WASHINGTON—Internet freedom in Africa improved overall in 2023, with nine countries recording net gains in digital freedom and five countries experiencing declines, according to a new report released today by Freedom House.

The report—Freedom on the Net 2023: The Repressive Power of Artificial Intelligence—finds that governments and political parties in Angola and Kenya sought to manipulate the digital sphere during electoral periods, affecting online freedom for ordinary people in those countries. While blocks on social media platforms were imposed less frequently than in previous years, the Ethiopian and Ugandan governments continued to impose restrictions to repress government criticism.

Other findings on Africa include: 

• Ethiopia remains the lowest-scoring country on the continent, scoring 26 on Freedom on the Net’s 100-point scale as its government enacted new connectivity restrictions that left residents of conflict-affected areas in the dark.
• People were arrested for their political and online social activity in 16 of the 17 African countries covered in Freedom on the Net, save for South Africa.
• South Africa has the highest aggregate score (73) and retains its status as the only African country ranked Free.
• In Sudan, the conflict between military and paramilitary forces that began in April has undermined internet freedom. Online journalists and activists saw a sharp increase in threats and physical violence from both sides while reporting on the conflict.
• Internet freedom remained restricted in North Africa. In Tunisia (59), attacks against online expression continued following President Kaïs Saïed’s 2021 seizure of power.
• Angola (59), Egypt (28), Kenya (66), and Tunisia (59) tied for the largest score decline in the report’s coverage period. Each country lost 2 points on Freedom on the Net’s 100-point scale.
• Nigeria (60) and Malawi (60) saw the largest score improvements. Each gained 3 points, as individuals in both countries faced fewer and less severe legal penalties for their online activity.
• The report also found that while advances in artificial intelligence (AI) offer benefits for society, they have been used to increase the scale and efficiency of digital repression. Governments are leveraging automated systems to strengthen their information controls and hone forms of online censorship. Simultaneously, distributors of disinformation have turned to AI tools to fabricate images, audio, and text, further blurring the lines between reality and deception.

Beyond Africa, Freedom on the Net 2023 finds that global internet freedom declined for the 13th consecutive year. The environment for human rights online deteriorated in 29 countries, while only 20 countries registered net gains. In 53 countries, people faced legal repercussions for expressing themselves online, while people were physically assaulted or killed for their online commentary in a record 43 countries. 

Freedom on the Net is an annual study of human rights in the digital sphere. The project assesses internet freedom in 70 countries, accounting for almost 89 percent of the world’s internet users. This report, the 13th in its series, covered developments between June 1, 2022, and May 31, 2023. More than 85 analysts and advisers contributed to this year’s edition, using a standard methodology to determine each country’s internet freedom score on a 100-point scale, with 21 separate indicators pertaining to obstacles to access, limits on content, and violations of user rights. 

Click here to read the full report and policy recommendations. Click here to read additional report press releases: Global, Americas, Asia-Pacific, Eurasia, Europe, Middle East. 

To schedule an interview with Freedom House experts, please contact Maryam Iftikhar at [email protected] or (202) 747-7064. 

Freedom House is a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization that works to create a world where all are free. We inform the world about threats to freedom, mobilize global action, and support democracy’s defenders.