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Chinese-style ‘digital authoritarianism’ grows globally: study
WASHINGTON, Nov 1, 2018 (BSS/AFP) – Governments worldwide are stepping up
use of online tools, in many cases inspired by China’s model, to suppress
dissent and tighten their grip on power, a human rights watchdog study found
Thursday.
The annual Freedom House study of 65 countries found global internet
freedom declined for the eighth consecutive year in 2018, amid a rise in what
the group called “digital authoritarianism.”
The Freedom on the Net 2018 report found online propaganda and
disinformation have increasingly “poisoned” the digital space, while the
unbridled collection of personal data is infringing on privacy.
“Democracies are struggling in the digital age, while China is exporting
its model of censorship and surveillance to control information both inside
and outside its borders,” said Michael Abramowitz, president of Freedom
House.
“This pattern poses a threat to the open internet and endangers prospects
for greater democracy worldwide.”
Chinese officials have held sessions on controlling information with 36 of
the 65 countries assessed, and provided telecom and surveillance equipment to
a number of foreign governments, Freedom House said.
The report found 17 governments approved or proposed laws restricting
online media in the name of fighting “fake news,” while 18 countries
increased surveillance or weakened encryption protection to more closely
monitor their citizenry.
According to the researchers, internet freedom declined in 26 countries
from June 2017 to May 2018. Gains were seen in 19 countries, most of them
minor.
– China’s ‘techno-dystopia’ –
One of the greatest threats, Freedom House said, is efforts by China to
remake the digital world in its “techno-dystopian” image.
It cited a sweeping Chinese cybersecurity that requires that local and
foreign companies “immediately stop transmission” of banned content, and
compels them to ensure that data on Chinese users is hosted within the
country.
This has been followed by “hundreds” of new directives on what people can
and cannot do online, and tighter controls on the use of VPNs to evade
detection.
The report said leaked documents and other evidence suggest as many as a
million Muslims may be held in internment camps in Xinjiang, many as a result
of nonviolent online activities.
China appears to be using its big tech firms involved in telecom
infrastructure to extend its dominance and gain an edge in surveillance,
according to Freedom House.
Companies such as Huawei — largely banned from contracts in the US and
Australia — are building infrastructure in many parts of the world including
Africa and Latin America, according to Freedom House board chairman Michael
Chertoff, a former US secretary of homeland security.
“This opens up a potential for exploiting information in these countries
by having technological backdoors that can be used by the Chinese government
to collect intelligence,” Chertoff told a conference call.
– Suppressing dissent –
The researchers said online freedom is facing threats in democratic as
well as authoritarian states.
India led the world in the number of internet shutdowns, with over 100
reported incidents in 2018 so far, claiming that the moves were needed to
halt the flow of disinformation and incitement to violence.
Similar actions were taken in Sri Lanka and elsewhere.
“Cutting off internet service is a draconian response, particularly at a
time when citizens may need it the most, whether to dispel rumors, check in
with loved ones, or avoid dangerous areas,” Freedom House researcher Adrian
Shahbaz said.
“While deliberately falsified content is a genuine problem, some
governments are increasingly using ‘fake news’ as a pretense to consolidate
their control over information and suppress dissent.”
Shahbaz said more governments, including Saudi Arabia, are employing
“troll armies” to manipulate social media and in many cases drown out the
voices of dissidents.
“It has now become a tool of authoritarian diplomacy to deploy an army of
electronic trolls,” he said.
The researchers said online freedom also declined in the United States in
part due to the rollback of “net neutrality” rules which ensured that all
data be treated equally, without “fast” or “slow” lanes for commercial or
other reasons.
It said online freedom also faces threats in the US as a result of the
reauthorization of a surveillance law and a “hyperpartisan” environment in
social media marked by large disinformation efforts.
BSS/AFP/FI/ 1028 hrs