Pakistan positioned 26th among countries for internet freedom

The Freedom House has declared Pakistan ‘Not Free’ in terms of internet use for the ninth consecutive year, with the country score decreasing from 27 to 26 out of 100 in 2019.

Pakistan positioned 26th among countries for internet freedomThe international supervisory body issued its Freedom on the Net (FoTN) report for the year 2019, titled “The Crisis of Social Media”, which recording an overall decline in global internet freedom between June 2018 and May 2019.

The report positioned Pakistan at 26, out of 100 (0 being the worst) which is one place down from last year’s ranking. The country scored 5 out of 25 for obstacles to access, 14 out of 35 for limits on content, and 7 out of 40 for violation of user rights index.

Globally, Pakistan is among the worst 10 countries in terms of internet and digital media freedom. In terms of regional ranking, Pakistan emerged as the third worst country after Vietnam and China.

Besides decline in internet freedom, the report found election manipulation in Pakistan through informational tactics such as the coordinated use of hyper-partisan commentators, bots, or news sites to disseminate false or misleading content as well as technical tactics, including intentional restrictions on connectivity and blocking of websites.

The report for Pakistan was authored by the Digital Rights Foundation. DRF Executive Director Nighat Dad said “The score this year is the culmination of short-term and regressive policies by successive governments. Year’s worth of draconian legislation and investment in structures that stymie freedom of expression has led to an environment where the internet in Pakistan is more unsafe and less inclusive.”