Georgia Listed among Free Countries in Freedom on Net 2017 Report

A new report entitled Freedom on the Net 2017, published by the Freedom House, says that Georgia gained 25 points (0 points means most free, 100 points – least free) and it is among the 16 countries out of 65 named as 'free on the net'.

“Internet freedom improved in Georgia this year, as internet penetration increased, and despite a brief blocking incident involving video-hosting platform Vimeo, the internet remained relatively free from censorship,” the reports reads.

There are three main criteria of evaluation: obstacles to access; limits on content and violations of user rights.  Georgia has better result this year, as it had 24 points in 2016. 

Key developments of Georgia in June 2016 – May 2017, listed in the report are:

• Video-hosting platform Vimeo was briefly blocked as the government attempted to restrict access to leaked videos featuring Georgian politicians (see “Blocking and Filtering”).
• Activists launched a digital campaign against overly-broad surveillance laws (See “Digital Activism”).
• New surveillance laws introduced in 2017 have attracted criticism for allowing excessive access to user data (see “Surveillance, Privacy, and Anonymity”) 

The report also says that internet access and usage continues to grow, particularly involving social networks. According to Freedom House, Georgian state bodies and several politicians have also increased their use of the internet and social media, to share information with citizens and attract support.

The report says that although the government continues to integrate e-services into a unified governmental portal, not all agencies are responsive when engaging with citizens online.

Also, the report reads that there are few indications of censorship or online content manipulation by the Georgian authorities or internet service providers (ISPs).

“Georgians continue to freely use social media tools to document and respond to significant political and social events. However, unreliable and politically biased content, including anti-Western propaganda, also proliferated online,” Freedom House said.

The report also noted that the number of internet and mobile phone subscriptions in Georgia continues to grow, but high prices for services, inadequate infrastructure, and slow internet speeds remain obstacles, particularly for those in rural areas or with low incomes. 

Freedom on the Net 2017 assesses internet freedom in 65 countries, accounting for 87 percent of internet users worldwide. The report primarily focuses on developments that occurred between June 2016 and May 2017, although some more recent events are included as well.

By Thea Morrison