Freedom on the Net measures the level of internet and digital media freedom in 60 countries. Each country receives a numerical score from 0 (the most free) to 100 (the least free), which serves as the basis for an internet freedom status designation of Free (0-30 points), Partly Free (31-60 points), or Not Free (61-100 points).
Ratings are determined through an examination of three broad categories:
- Obstacles to Access: assesses infrastructural and economic barriers to access; governmental efforts to block specific applications or technologies; and legal, regulatory, and ownership control over internet and mobile phone access providers.
- Limits on Content: examines filtering and blocking of websites; other forms of censorship and self-censorship; manipulation of content; the diversity of online news media; and usage of digital media for social and political activism.
- Violations of User Rights: measures legal protections and restrictions on online activity; surveillance; privacy; and repercussions for online activity, such as legal prosecution, imprisonment, physical attacks, or other forms of harassment.
Country |
Freedom on the Net 2013 Status
|
Freedom on the Net 2013 Total 0-100 Points |
A. Subtotal: Obstacles to Access 0-25 Points |
B. Subtotal: Limits on Content 0-35 Points |
C. Subtotal: Violations of User Rights 0-40 Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Iceland |
Free |
6 |
1 |
1 |
4 |
Estonia |
Free |
9 |
1 |
3 |
5 |
Germany |
Free |
17 |
4 |
4 |
9 |
United States |
Free |
17 |
4 |
1 |
12 |
Australia |
Free |
18 |
2 |
5 |
11 |
France |
Free |
20 |
4 |
4 |
12 |
Japan |
Free |
22 |
4 |
7 |
11 |
Hungary |
Free |
23 |
5 |
8 |
10 |
Italy |
Free |
23 |
5 |
6 |
12 |
United Kingdom |
Free |
24 |
2 |
6 |
16 |
Philippines |
Free |
25 |
10 |
5 |
10 |
Georgia |
Free |
26 |
8 |
7 |
11 |
South Africa |
Free |
26 |
7 |
8 |
11 |
Argentina |
Free |
27 |
8 |
10 |
9 |
Kenya |
Free |
28 |
9 |
7 |
12 |
Ukraine |
Free |
28 |
7 |
7 |
14 |
Armenia |
Free |
29 |
8 |
9 |
12 |
Nigeria |
Partly Free |
31 |
10 |
8 |
13 |
Brazil |
Partly Free |
32 |
7 |
8 |
17 |
South Korea |
Partly Free |
32 |
3 |
13 |
16 |
Angola |
Partly Free |
34 |
15 |
6 |
13 |
Uganda |
Partly Free |
34 |
11 |
8 |
15 |
Kyrgyzstan |
Partly Free |
35 |
12 |
10 |
13 |
Ecuador |
Partly Free |
37 |
10 |
11 |
16 |
Mexico |
Partly Free |
38 |
11 |
10 |
17 |
Indonesia |
Partly Free |
41 |
11 |
11 |
19 |
Tunisia |
Partly Free |
41 |
12 |
8 |
21 |
Malawi |
Partly Free |
42 |
16 |
11 |
15 |
Morocco |
Partly Free |
42 |
11 |
7 |
24 |
Malaysia |
Partly Free |
44 |
9 |
15 |
20 |
Lebanon |
Partly Free |
45 |
14 |
10 |
21 |
Libya |
Partly Free |
45 |
17 |
9 |
19 |
Jordan |
Partly Free |
46 |
13 |
13 |
20 |
Cambodia |
Partly Free |
47 |
14 |
15 |
18 |
India |
Partly Free |
47 |
15 |
12 |
20 |
Rwanda |
Partly Free |
48 |
12 |
18 |
18 |
Bangladesh |
Partly Free |
49 |
13 |
12 |
24 |
Turkey |
Partly Free |
49 |
12 |
18 |
19 |
Azerbaijan |
Partly Free |
52 |
13 |
17 |
22 |
Venezuela |
Partly Free |
53 |
16 |
16 |
21 |
Russia |
Partly Free |
54 |
10 |
19 |
25 |
Zimbabwe |
Partly Free |
54 |
16 |
14 |
24 |
Sri Lanka |
Partly Free |
58 |
15 |
20 |
23 |
Kazakhstan |
Partly Free |
59 |
15 |
23 |
21 |
Egypt |
Partly Free |
60 |
15 |
12 |
33 |
Thailand |
Partly Free |
60 |
10 |
21 |
29 |
Burma |
Not Free |
62 |
20 |
16 |
26 |
Sudan |
Not Free |
63 |
17 |
19 |
27 |
United Arab Emirates |
Not Free |
66 |
13 |
22 |
31 |
Belarus |
Not Free |
67 |
16 |
22 |
29 |
Pakistan |
Not Free |
67 |
20 |
20 |
27 |
Saudi Arabia |
Not Free |
70 |
14 |
24 |
32 |
Bahrain |
Not Free |
72 |
11 |
26 |
35 |
Vietnam |
Not Free |
75 |
14 |
28 |
33 |
Uzbekistan |
Not Free |
78 |
20 |
28 |
30 |
Ethiopia |
Not Free |
79 |
22 |
28 |
29 |
Syria |
Not Free |
85 |
24 |
25 |
36 |
China (PRC) |
Not Free |
86 |
19 |
29 |
38 |
Cuba |
Not Free |
86 |
24 |
29 |
33 |
Iran |
Not Free |
91 |
22 |
32 |
37 |