{"id":30173,"date":"2020-10-16T07:00:38","date_gmt":"2020-10-16T04:00:38","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/forklog.com\/en\/?p=30173"},"modified":"2025-08-27T20:55:22","modified_gmt":"2025-08-27T17:55:22","slug":"how-the-pandemic-is-killing-internet-freedom-a-freedom-house-report","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/u1f987.com\/en\/how-the-pandemic-is-killing-internet-freedom-a-freedom-house-report\/","title":{"rendered":"How the Pandemic Is Killing Internet Freedom: A Freedom House Report"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>Against the backdrop of the COVID-19 pandemic, internet freedom worldwide deteriorated sharply. Governments have seized the opportunity to tighten surveillance of citizens and curb the right to a free internet. The data come from the NGO Freedom House&#8217;s report \u201cFreedom on the Net 2020.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><!--more--><\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote twitter-tweet is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\">\n<p dir=\"ltr\" lang=\"en\">NEW REPORT out today: <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/hashtag\/FreedomOnTheNet?src=hash&#038;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">#FreedomOnTheNet<\/a><\/p>\n<p>The 2020 report show internet freedom has declined for 10 straight years \u2014 contributing to a broader crisis for democracy around the world.<\/p>\n<p>Read the full report at <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/sGe9DYwUmd\">https:\/\/t.co\/sGe9DYwUmd<\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/9ut8w8xJms\">pic.twitter.com\/9ut8w8xJms<\/a><\/p>\n<p>\u2014 Freedom House (@freedomhouse) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/freedomhouse\/status\/1316332976586797060?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">October 14, 2020<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><script async=\"\" src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/p>\n<div class=\"wp-block-text-wrappers-keypoints article_keypoints\">\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Across the board, internet freedom declined in every country.<\/li>\n<li>Under the pretext of the coronavirus pandemic, authorities are deploying more tools for mass surveillance and the gathering of personal data, tightening censorship and building a \u201csovereign internet\u201d.<\/li>\n<li>Russia and Belarus were rated as not free, while Ukraine was rated partly free.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<p>Freedom House analysts studied 65 countries, whose residents account for 87% of the world\u2019s internet users. The study covers June 2019 to May 2020.<\/p>\n<p>The Internet Freedom Index assigned to countries is based on 21 indicators, including restrictions on internet access, content censorship, and violations of users\u2019 rights.<\/p>\n<p>Based on this, countries were grouped into three categories by level of internet freedom: free, partly free and not free.<\/p>\n<div class=\"wp-block-image wp-image-113414\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"300\" height=\"194\" src=\"https:\/\/u1f987.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/10082020_FOTN_2020_Map_Poster_0-300x194.jpg\" alt=\"\u041a\u0430\u043a \u043f\u0430\u043d\u0434\u0435\u043c\u0438\u044f \u0443\u0431\u0438\u0432\u0430\u0435\u0442 \u0441\u0432\u043e\u0431\u043e\u0434\u0443 \u0432 \u0438\u043d\u0442\u0435\u0440\u043d\u0435\u0442\u0435: \u043e\u0442\u0447\u0435\u0442 Freedom House\" class=\"wp-image-113414\" srcset=\"https:\/\/u1f987.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/10082020_FOTN_2020_Map_Poster_0-300x194.jpg 300w, https:\/\/u1f987.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/10082020_FOTN_2020_Map_Poster_0-1024x663.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/u1f987.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/10082020_FOTN_2020_Map_Poster_0-768x497.jpg 768w, https:\/\/u1f987.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/10082020_FOTN_2020_Map_Poster_0-1536x994.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/u1f987.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/10082020_FOTN_2020_Map_Poster_0-2048x1325.jpg 2048w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><figcaption>\u0420\u0430\u0441\u043f\u0440\u0435\u0434\u0435\u043b\u0435\u043d\u0438\u0435 \u0441\u0442\u0440\u0430\u043d \u043c\u0438\u0440\u0430 \u043f\u043e \u0441\u0442\u0435\u043f\u0435\u043d\u0438 \u0441\u0432\u043e\u0431\u043e\u0434\u044b \u0438\u043d\u0442\u0435\u0440\u043d\u0435\u0442\u0430. \u0414\u0430\u043d\u043d\u044b\u0435: <a href=\"https:\/\/freedomhouse.org\/sites\/default\/files\/2020-10\/10122020_FOTN2020_Complete_Report_FINAL.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Freedom House<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Iceland leads the internet freedom index (95 out of 100). Estonia follows with 94 and Canada with 87.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">China ranks worst for the sixth year in a row for <span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">the use of centralized infrastructure<\/span> <span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">for \u201cpervasive monitoring and filtering of all traffic entering the country.\u201d<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The report notes a general worsening of internet freedom worldwide. Researchers say governments have used the pandemic to expand censorship and broaden systems of control over populations.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Freedom House highlights three main trends:<\/span><\/p>\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">governments\u2019 push toward cyber sovereignty intensified, as each country imposes its own rules for the internet to curb cross-border information flows;<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">governments around the world used the pandemic as a pretext to restrict access to information;<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">under the pretext of fighting COVID-19, the spread of tracking technologies accelerated.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><b>Cyber Sovereignty<\/b><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The desire of governments to create a sovereign internet and restrict information flows alarms researchers, as the trend is seen worldwide, including in democratic countries.<\/span><\/p>\n<div class=\"wp-block-image wp-image-113415\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"300\" height=\"213\" src=\"https:\/\/u1f987.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/FH_FOTN_2020_GRAPHIC04_Cyber_Sovereignty_final_digital-300x213.png\" alt=\"\u041a\u0430\u043a \u043f\u0430\u043d\u0434\u0435\u043c\u0438\u044f \u0443\u0431\u0438\u0432\u0430\u0435\u0442 \u0441\u0432\u043e\u0431\u043e\u0434\u0443 \u0432 \u0438\u043d\u0442\u0435\u0440\u043d\u0435\u0442\u0435: \u043e\u0442\u0447\u0435\u0442 Freedom House\" class=\"wp-image-113415\" srcset=\"https:\/\/u1f987.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/FH_FOTN_2020_GRAPHIC04_Cyber_Sovereignty_final_digital-300x213.png 300w, https:\/\/u1f987.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/FH_FOTN_2020_GRAPHIC04_Cyber_Sovereignty_final_digital-1024x725.png 1024w, https:\/\/u1f987.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/FH_FOTN_2020_GRAPHIC04_Cyber_Sovereignty_final_digital-768x544.png 768w, https:\/\/u1f987.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/FH_FOTN_2020_GRAPHIC04_Cyber_Sovereignty_final_digital.png 1080w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><figcaption>More governments are restricting the free flow of information across borders. Data: Freedom House<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Against this backdrop, analysts noted, among other things, attempts by the United States to ban Chinese apps, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.scmp.com\/news\/hong-kong\/politics\/article\/3091241\/national-security-law-chinese-president-xi-jinping-signs\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">law<\/span><\/a> on the protection of national security in Hong Kong, and Russia&#8217;s runet-isolation law.<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Russia was assigned an index of 30 and classified as not free. Belarus sits in the same category.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Mikhail Klimarov, executive director of the Internet Protection Society (IPS), told ForkLog that Russia is indeed seeing a deterioration in internet freedom.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Recently the IPS released its own report on Russia&#8217;s internet-freedom index. For the first time in five years of counting, the index fell below zero.<\/span><\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote twitter-tweet is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\">\n<p dir=\"ltr\" lang=\"ru\">\u26a1\u041d\u0430\u043a\u043e\u043d\u0435\u0446-\u0442\u043e \u0432\u044b\u043f\u0443\u0441\u0442\u0438\u043b\u0438 \u0431\u043e\u043b\u044c\u0448\u043e\u0439 \u043e\u0442\u0447\u0451\u0442 \u043f\u043e \u0438\u043d\u0434\u0435\u043a\u0441\u0443 \u0441\u0432\u043e\u0431\u043e\u0434\u044b \u0440\u0443\u043d\u0435\u0442\u0430 \u0437\u0430 5 \u043c\u0435\u0441\u044f\u0446\u0435\u0432. \u0414\u043d\u043e \u043f\u0440\u043e\u0431\u0438\u0442\u043e \u0432\u043e \u0432\u0441\u0435\u0445 \u0441\u043c\u044b\u0441\u043b\u0430\u0445<\/p>\n<p>\u041f\u043e\u0434\u0440\u043e\u0431\u043d\u0435\u0435 \u0432\u043d\u0443\u0442\u0440\u0438: <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/4rMWsWf8Xt\">https:\/\/t.co\/4rMWsWf8Xt<\/a><\/p>\n<p>\u2014 Internet Protection Society (@safe_runet) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/safe_runet\/status\/1315958716487938049?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">October 13, 2020<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><script async=\"\" src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">According to Freedom House, Ukraine rose several points over the year \u2014 its internet-freedom index stands at 61.<\/span><\/p>\n<div class=\"wp-block-image wp-image-113416\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"300\" height=\"122\" src=\"https:\/\/u1f987.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/Screenshot_215-300x122.png\" alt=\"\u041a\u0430\u043a \u043f\u0430\u043d\u0434\u0435\u043c\u0438\u044f \u0443\u0431\u0438\u0432\u0430\u0435\u0442 \u0441\u0432\u043e\u0431\u043e\u0434\u0443 \u0432 \u0438\u043d\u0442\u0435\u0440\u043d\u0435\u0442\u0435: \u043e\u0442\u0447\u0435\u0442 Freedom House\" class=\"wp-image-113416\" srcset=\"https:\/\/u1f987.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/Screenshot_215-300x122.png 300w, https:\/\/u1f987.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/Screenshot_215.png 755w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><figcaption>\u0420\u0430\u0441\u043f\u0440\u0435\u0434\u0435\u043b\u0435\u043d\u0438\u0435 \u043f\u043e \u0440\u0435\u0433\u0438\u043e\u043d\u0430\u043c \u2014 \u0415\u0432\u0440\u0430\u0437\u0438\u044f. \u0414\u0430\u043d\u043d\u044b\u0435: Freedom House<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In the report, Ukraine&#8217;s improvement is attributed largely to the assessment excluding eastern territories, \u201cbecause they differ greatly from areas controlled by the Ukrainian government.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Ukraine emerged among the leaders in index growth, improving by 5 points over the year.<\/span><\/p>\n<div class=\"wp-block-image wp-image-113417\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"300\" height=\"115\" src=\"https:\/\/u1f987.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/Screenshot_216-300x115.png\" alt=\"\u041a\u0430\u043a \u043f\u0430\u043d\u0434\u0435\u043c\u0438\u044f \u0443\u0431\u0438\u0432\u0430\u0435\u0442 \u0441\u0432\u043e\u0431\u043e\u0434\u0443 \u0432 \u0438\u043d\u0442\u0435\u0440\u043d\u0435\u0442\u0435: \u043e\u0442\u0447\u0435\u0442 Freedom House\" class=\"wp-image-113417\" srcset=\"https:\/\/u1f987.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/Screenshot_216-300x115.png 300w, https:\/\/u1f987.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/Screenshot_216-1024x394.png 1024w, https:\/\/u1f987.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/Screenshot_216-768x295.png 768w, https:\/\/u1f987.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/Screenshot_216.png 1453w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><figcaption>Countries showing the greatest growth in the internet freedom index. Data: Freedom House<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Among the top five countries with the largest declines in the internet freedom index over the year was Kyrgyzstan.<\/span><\/p>\n<div class=\"wp-block-image wp-image-113418\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"300\" height=\"206\" src=\"https:\/\/u1f987.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/FH_FOTN_2020_GRAPHIC07_Biggest_Declines_final_digital_Large-300x206.png\" alt=\"\u041a\u0430\u043a \u043f\u0430\u043d\u0434\u0435\u043c\u0438\u044f \u0443\u0431\u0438\u0432\u0430\u0435\u0442 \u0441\u0432\u043e\u0431\u043e\u0434\u0443 \u0432 \u0438\u043d\u0442\u0435\u0440\u043d\u0435\u0442\u0435: \u043e\u0442\u0447\u0435\u0442 Freedom House\" class=\"wp-image-113418\" srcset=\"https:\/\/u1f987.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/FH_FOTN_2020_GRAPHIC07_Biggest_Declines_final_digital_Large-300x206.png 300w, https:\/\/u1f987.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/FH_FOTN_2020_GRAPHIC07_Biggest_Declines_final_digital_Large_1024x702.png 1024w, https:\/\/u1f987.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/FH_FOTN_2020_GRAPHIC07_Biggest_Declines_final_digital_Large-768x526.png 768w, https:\/\/u1f987.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/FH_FOTN_2020_GRAPHIC07_Biggest_Declines_final_digital_Large.png 1080w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><figcaption>Largest declines in the index over one year and over five years. Data: Freedom House<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\">\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u00abRather than protecting users, applying national sovereignty to cyberspace gives authorities free rein to act in the protection of human rights\u00bb<\/span><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><b>Censorship<\/b><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Governments in at least 28 countries blocked content, \u201cto suppress unfavourable statistics, critical reporting and other COVID-19 content,\u201d the researchers write.<\/span><\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\">\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u00abNowhere has censorship been more complex and systematic than in China, whose authorities hurried to control information due to their initial reluctance and inability to contain the Wuhan outbreak,\u00bb the report notes.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<div class=\"wp-block-image wp-image-113419\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"300\" height=\"206\" src=\"https:\/\/u1f987.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/FH_FOTN_2020_GRAPHIC01_COVID_Censorship_final_digital-300x206.png\" alt=\"\u041a\u0430\u043a \u043f\u0430\u043d\u0434\u0435\u043c\u0438\u044f \u0443\u0431\u0438\u0432\u0430\u0435\u0442 \u0441\u0432\u043e\u0431\u043e\u0434\u0443 \u0432 \u0438\u043d\u0442\u0435\u0440\u043d\u0435\u0442\u0435: \u043e\u0442\u0447\u0435\u0442 Freedom House\" class=\"wp-image-113419\" srcset=\"https:\/\/u1f987.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/FH_FOTN_2020_GRAPHIC01_COVID_Censorship_final_digital-300x206.png 300w, https:\/\/u1f987.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/FH_FOTN_2020_GRAPHIC01_COVID_Censorship_final_digital-1024x702.png 1024w, https:\/\/u1f987.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/FH_FOTN_2020_GRAPHIC01_COVID_Censorship_final_digital-768x526.png 768w, https:\/\/u1f987.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/FH_FOTN_2020_GRAPHIC01_COVID_Censorship_final_digital.png 1080w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><figcaption>Censorship of information amid the coronavirus pandemic. Data: Freedom House<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Against the backdrop of the pandemic, suppression of freedom of expression has intensified. Freedom House notes that in 45 of the 65 countries analysed, activists, journalists and ordinary people \u201cwere arrested or prosecuted for online statements related to COVID-19.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In many countries, internet shutdowns were recorded. They often occurred in the areas where historically marginalised groups live, the researchers note.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The report does not reflect internet shutdowns in Belarus, as large-scale access problems began in August and fell outside the period Freedom House studied.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The researchers noted that since the start of the pandemic more people have become dependent on the internet as remote work took hold. Therefore, access restrictions could have far-reaching social, political and economic consequences, Freedom House warns:<\/span><\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\">\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u00abProtecting access to a free and open internet is fundamental to the future of democracy\u00bb.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><b>Tracking<\/b><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Different citizen-tracking systems have been rolled out with little scrutiny or resistance, the researchers note:<\/span><\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\">\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u00abIt is troubling that authorities in many countries used the public health crisis to introduce new forms of surveillance, gaining new capabilities for social control with few checks and balances\u00bb.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In 54 of 65 countries, apps to track quarantine compliance by people infected with the coronavirus have been deployed.<\/span><\/p>\n<div class=\"wp-block-image wp-image-113420\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"300\" height=\"206\" src=\"https:\/\/u1f987.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/FH_FOTN_2020_GRAPHIC03_COVID_Surveillance_apps_final_digital-300x206.png\" alt=\"\u041a\u0430\u043a \u043f\u0430\u043d\u0434\u0435\u043c\u0438\u044f \u0443\u0431\u0438\u0432\u0430\u0435\u0442 \u0441\u0432\u043e\u0431\u043e\u0434\u0443 \u0432 \u0438\u043d\u0442\u0435\u0440\u043d\u0435\u0442\u0435: \u043e\u0442\u0447\u0435\u0442 Freedom House\" class=\"wp-image-113420\" srcset=\"https:\/\/u1f987.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/FH_FOTN_2020_GRAPHIC03_COVID_Surveillance_apps_final_digital-300x206.png 300w, https:\/\/u1f987.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/FH_FOTN_2020_GRAPHIC03_COVID_Surveillance_apps_final_digital-1024x702.png 1024w, https:\/\/u1f987.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/FH_FOTN_2020_GRAPHIC03_COVID_Surveillance_apps_final_digital-768x526.png 768w, https:\/\/u1f987.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/FH_FOTN_2020_GRAPHIC03_COVID_Surveillance_apps_final_digital.png 1080w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><figcaption>Apps monitoring citizens appeared in countries around the world. Data: Freedom House<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">They collect a great deal of personal information and are often transmitted unencrypted, risking leaks and misuse, the researchers say.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In at least 30 countries, authorities cooperate with telecoms providers and other companies to gather information about people\u2019s contacts and to analyse data.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">At the same time, in many countries such initiatives lack transparency, proportionality and privacy protections, Freedom House notes.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Vigilance with video surveillance and facial recognition is growing. China again leads in this area. Earlier experts <a href=\"https:\/\/u1f987.com\/en\/news\/experts-warn-of-risks-in-the-spread-of-facial-recognition-systems-in-china\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">said<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> that the spread of such systems in the PRC is unlikely to slow.<\/span><\/p>\n<div class=\"wp-block-image wp-image-113421\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"300\" height=\"232\" src=\"https:\/\/u1f987.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/FH_FOTN_2020_GRAPHIC02_ChinaCaseStudy_final_digital-300x232.png\" alt=\"\u041a\u0430\u043a \u043f\u0430\u043d\u0434\u0435\u043c\u0438\u044f \u0443\u0431\u0438\u0432\u0430\u0435\u0442 \u0441\u0432\u043e\u0431\u043e\u0434\u0443 \u0432 \u0438\u043d\u0442\u0435\u0440\u043d\u0435\u0442\u0435: \u043e\u0442\u0447\u0435\u0442 Freedom House\" class=\"wp-image-113421\" srcset=\"https:\/\/u1f987.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/FH_FOTN_2020_GRAPHIC02_ChinaCaseStudy_final_digital-300x232.png 300w, https:\/\/u1f987.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/FH_FOTN_2020_GRAPHIC02_ChinaCaseStudy_final_digital-1024x793.png 1024w, https:\/\/u1f987.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/FH_FOTN_2020_GRAPHIC02_ChinaCaseStudy_final_digital-768x594.png 768w, https:\/\/u1f987.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/FH_FOTN_2020_GRAPHIC02_ChinaCaseStudy_final_digital.png 1080w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><figcaption>Tracking technologies used in China. Data: Freedom House<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Researchers stress that the trend is not confined to China \u2014 Paris\u2019s transport system has begun testing AI-powered cameras. Solutions for remotely identifying infected people are being offered by American and European firms.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Such technologies should be regulated by robust laws and regulations to protect fundamental rights and prevent the normalization of intrusive monitoring, Freedom House says.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">***<\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">History has shown that authorities tend to keep the powers and capabilities they gain during emergencies, the report\u2019s authors conclude.<\/span><\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\">\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u00abAs with national security questions, government agencies will always argue that they need more data to protect the country,\u00bb the researchers note.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">For more on the methods governments use to track citizens during the pandemic, read ForkLog\u2019s report.<\/span><\/p>\n<p>Subscribe to ForkLog\u2019s news on Telegram: <a href=\"https:\/\/t.me\/forklogfeed\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener noreferrer\">ForkLog Feed<\/a> \u2014 the full news feed, <a href=\"https:\/\/telegram.me\/forklog\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener noreferrer\">ForkLog<\/a> \u2014 the most important news and polls.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Against the backdrop of the COVID-19 pandemic, internet freedom worldwide deteriorated sharply. Governments have seized the opportunity to tighten surveillance of citizens and curb the right to a free internet. The data come from Freedom House&#8217;s report Freedom on the Net 2020.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":30174,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"select":"1","news_style_id":"1","cryptorium_level":"","_short_excerpt_text":"","creation_source":"","_metatest_mainpost_news_update":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1144],"tags":[39,1445,1256,1515],"class_list":["post-30173","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-longreads","tag-censorship","tag-internet","tag-privacy-and-personal-data","tag-tracking"],"aioseo_notices":[],"amp_enabled":true,"views":"16","promo_type":"1","layout_type":"1","short_excerpt":"","is_update":"","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/u1f987.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/30173","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/u1f987.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/u1f987.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/u1f987.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/u1f987.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=30173"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/u1f987.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/30173\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":30175,"href":"https:\/\/u1f987.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/30173\/revisions\/30175"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/u1f987.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/30174"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/u1f987.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=30173"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/u1f987.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=30173"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/u1f987.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=30173"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}