Acknowledgements: Freedom on the Net 2020

Freedom on the Net is a collaborative effort between Freedom House staff and a network of more than 70 researchers covering 65 countries. These researchers, who come from civil society organizations, academia, journalism, and other backgrounds, use a 21-question research methodology that addresses a range of issues related to internet access, free expression, and privacy in their country of expertise. In repressive environments, Freedom House takes care to ensure researchers’ anonymity and/or works with experts living abroad.

The report was made possible by the generous support of the Internet Society, the New York Community Trust, and the U.S. Department of State.

Contributors 

Freedom House staff

• Adrian Shahbaz, Director, Technology and Democracy
• Allie Funk, Senior Research Analyst, Technology and Democracy
• Amy Slipowitz, Research Manager, Freedom in the World
• Kian Vesteinsson, Research Analyst, Technology and Democracy
• Noah Buyon, Research Associate
• Cathryn Grothe, Research Associate

Elisha Aaron, David Meijer, Shannon O’Toole, and Tyler Roylance edited Freedom on the Net. Michael Abramowitz, Annie Boyajian, Arch Puddington, Sarah Repucci, Nate Schenkkan, Jennifer Stapleton, and Mai Truong provided valuable feedback on the summary of findings. Isabel Linzer served as an adviser on Sub-Saharan Africa, and Ever Bussey and Maddie Masinsin provided research assistance.

Report authors

• Argentina: Leandro Ucciferri, independent researcher
• Armenia: Samvel Martirosyan, CyberHUB-AM
• Australia: Rose Dlougatch, independent researcher
• Azerbaijan: Arzu Geybulla, freelance journalist and Azerbaijan Internet Watch
• Brazil: Rafael A. F. Zanatta, Data Privacy Brasil Research Association
• Canada: Allen Mendelsohn, independent legal practitioner and McGill University Faculty of Law
• China: Sarah Cook with research assistance from Emile Dirks (the University of Toronto) and Amy Lin 
• Colombia: Pedro Vaca Villarreal, Fundación para la Libertad de Prensa (FLIP)
• Cuba: Ted A. Henken, Baruch College, CUNY
• Ecuador: Iria Puyosa, independent researcher
• Estonia: Hille Hinsberg and Laura Kask, Proud Engineers
• Ethiopia: Endalkachew Chala, Hamline University
• France: Jean-Loup Richet, Sorbonne Business School
• Georgia: Teona Turashvili, Institute for Development of Freedom of Information
• Germany: Stina Lohmüller and Michael Puntschuh, iRights.Lab
• Hungary: Dalma Dojcsák, Hungarian Civil Liberties Union
• Iceland: Arnaldur Sigurðarson, independent researcher
• India: Centre for Communication Governance at National Law University Delhi
• Indonesia: Sherly Haristya, independent researcher
• Iran: Melody Kazemi, Small Media
• Italy: Philip Di Salvo, Università della Svizzera italiana; Antonella Napolitano, Privacy International
• Japan: Hamada Tadahisa, Japan Computer Access for Empowerment
• Jordan: Jordan Open Source Association
• Kyrgyzstan: Artem Goriainov, Civil Initiative on Internet Policy
• Lebanon: SMEX
• Libya: Muhammad Jaballa, independent researcher
• Malawi: Jimmy Kainja, University of Malawi
• Malaysia: K Kabilan, independent researcher
• Mexico: Mariel García-Montes, Massachusetts Institute of Technology
• Myanmar: Free Expression Myanmar
• Nigeria: Babatunde Okunoye and ‘Gbenga Sesan, Paradigm Initiative
• Singapore: Kirsten Han, independent researcher
• South Africa: Okyerebea Ampofo-Anti, Ampofo-Anti Consulting
• South Korea: Yenn Lee, SOAS University of London
• Sri Lanka: Raisa Wickrematunge, independent researcher
• Sudan: Reem Abbas, independent researcher and journalist
• Syria: Alaa Ghazal, Syrian Center for Media and Freedom of Expression
• Thailand: Emilie Pradichit and Ananya Ramani, Manushya Foundation
• The Gambia: Demba Kandeh, University of The Gambia
• Tunisia: Yosr Jouini, independent researcher
• Turkey: Gürkan Özturan, Media Research Association
• Ukraine: Olga Kyryliuk, independent legal practitioner and researcher
• United Kingdom: Aaron Ceross, University of Oxford
• United States: Alex Rochefort, Boston University
• Uzbekistan: Ernest Zhanaev, independent researcher
• Venezuela: Raisa Urribarri, Universidad de Los Andes (Emeritus)

Researchers for Angola, Bahrain, Bangladesh, Belarus, Cambodia, Egypt, Kazakhstan, Kenya, Morocco, Pakistan, the Philippines, Rwanda, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Uganda, the United Arab Emirates, Vietnam, Zambia, and Zimbabwe wished to remain anonymous. 

Advisers

• Atnafu Brhane, Program Director of the Center for Advancement of Rights and Democracy
• Matthew Feeney, Director of the Cato Institute's Project on Emerging Technologies
• Liza Goitein, Co-Director of the Liberty and National Security Program at the Brennan Center for Justice 
• Sarah J. Jackson, Presidential Associate Professor at the Annenberg School for Communication, University of Pennsylvania
• Daphne Keller, Director of the Program on Platform Regulation at Stanford Cyber Policy Center
• Rachel Levinson-Waldman, Deputy Director of the Liberty and National Security Program at the Brennan Center for Justice 
• Trinh Huu Long, Legal Initiatives for Vietnam 
• Xiao Qiang, Founder and Director of China Digital Times and a research scientist at the School of Information, University of California Berkeley

The Freedom on the Net team expresses their gratitude to the global internet freedom community, including the many individuals and organizations whose tireless and courageous work informs this report.

How to cite this report

Please use the following citation when referencing the report, its summary of findings, or select country reports:

Shahbaz, Funk, Slipowitz, Vesteinsson, Buyon, Grothe eds. Freedom on the Net 2020, Freedom House, 2020, freedomonthenet.org.

Shahbaz and Funk, “The Pandemic’s Digital Shadow,” in Shahbaz, Funk, Slipowitz, Vesteinsson, Buyon, Grothe, eds. Freedom on the Net 2020, Freedom House, 2020, freedomonthenet.org.

“Angola,” in Shahbaz, Funk, Slipowitz, Vesteinsson, Buyon, Grothe eds. Freedom on the Net 2020, Freedom House, 2020, freedomonthenet.org.