Henrik Alexandersson

Den amerikanska organisationen Freedom House har presenterat sin årliga rapport över tillståndet för internet i världen. Slutsatsen är – föga förvånande – att nätet har blivit mindre fritt under det år som gått.

Wired sammanfattar överskådligt vad som är problematiskt »…increasing censorship in response to disinformation, the widespread collection of personal data, and a growing group of countries emulating China’s model of digital authoritarianism.«

Vilket ger en deprimerande helhetsbild:

Since June 2017, the report found, internet freedom declined in 26 countries, while only 19 countries saw their scores improve. As a result, just 20 percent of the global internet population is considered “free.” The message is dire: Without significant effort on the part of tech companies, democratic nations, advocacy groups, the public, and the press, democracy might not survive the digital era.

Vad kan då göras? I Freedom House-rapporten finns en lista på förslag:

For Policymakers:

• Ensure that all internet-related laws and practices adhere to international human rights law and standards.
• Enact strong data protection laws to provide greater transparency and control over personal data.
• Include human rights safeguards in national strategies on artificial intelligence (AI).
• Fund rapid response capacity to counter attacks on internet freedom.
• Impose sanctions—such as freezing of assets—on foreign tech companies involved in human rights abuses.
• In the United States, reintroduce and pass the Global Online Freedom Act (GOFA).

For the Private Sector:

• Adhere to the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights.
• Conduct human rights impact assessments for new markets and commit to doing no harm.
• Grant users control over their information and ensure that it is not being misused.
• Ensure fair and transparent content moderation practices.
• Engage in continuous dialogue with local civil society organizations.
• Label automated “bot” accounts.
• Use internal expertise to help counter Chinese state censorship and protect users.

For Civil Society:

• Partner with the private sector on fact-checking efforts.
• Work with scholars to examine how disinformation spreads and why people are likely to share it.
• Monitor home countries’ collaboration with Beijing and Chinese firms.
• Continue to raise awareness about government censorship and surveillance efforts.

Tyvärr är Sverige inte med i sammanställningen. Däremot kan man konstatera att internet anses var »fritt« i länder som Australien och Storbritannien – vilket nog kan diskuteras.

Utöver de frågor som Freedom House berör kan man lägga upphovsrättsindustrins ständiga krav på filtrering, censur och på att operatörer och plattformar skall agera nätpoliser. Även om detta sker i en kommersiell kontext – så kan konsekvenserna för det fria ordet och den fria åsiktsbildningen bli allvarliga.

Länkar:
• Freedom House: Freedom on the Net 2018 – The Rise of Digital Authoritarianism »
• Wireds sammanfattning: The Internet Became Less Free in 2018. Can We Fight Back?

/ HAX