The Continued Decline of Global Internet Freedom

Impossible Tradeoffs with Katie Harbath

I’m excited to welcome Allie Funk, Grant Baker, and Kian Vesteinsson of Freedom House’s technology and democracy team to the podcast, who released their 2024 Freedom on the Net report this week. Our conversation revolves around the latest Freedom on the Net report, highlighting the ongoing decline of global internet freedom for the 14th consecutive year. We cover various factors contributing to this decline, including censorship, violence against online activists, and the impact of AI on elections. The speakers also provide insights into specific countries like Kyrgyzstan and Myanmar and share positive examples from South Africa, Taiwan, and the EU. The conversation concludes with policy recommendations to improve the information environment and protect online freedoms.

Freedom House’s reports are ones I look for every year to get a sense of how the internet and technology are impacting democracy. They’re a must-read, and our conversation will help give you more context into what is happening and how we might improve things.

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