Global effort to promote online Freedom of Expression publishes annual report
While the right to freedom of expression online was affirmed by a UN resolution in 2012, the year also saw a wave of troubling government initiatives threatening internet freedom, says the IMS-supported Global Network Initiative in its latest annual report
Government attempts to control content and monitor Internet users, have become a global phenomenon, with 47 percent of the world’s Internet users experiencing some form of censorship online, the report notes.
The full report is available here (PDF).
The Global Network Initiative was established to provide companies with human rights guidance to enable responsible decisions in the face of government requests, through engagement with human rights and press freedom groups, academic researchers, and socially responsible investors.
IMS joined the initiative in 2011 to provide input and advice on Freedom of Expression and media issues.
“Troubling” legislative proposals
Advocates for digital rights achieved notable victories this year, particularly with the passage of a UN Human Rights Council resolution affirming that the same rights that people have offline, particularly freedom of expression, also apply online.
But a wave of troubling legislative proposals threaten rights to free expression and privacy in both repressive regimes and democratic societies, as do the efforts of some governments to increase their control over the Internet.
Growing membership
Over the past year, the Global Network Initiative’s membership has grown, with new members from India and Azerbaijan, a growing network of companies, including observers Facebook and the top-level domain registry operator Afilias. GNI also made a two-year collaboration with eight global telecommunications companies that will seek to find a common approach to advance free expression and privacy rights.
The Global Network Initiative (GNI) is a group of companies, civil society organisations (including human rights and press freedom groups), investors and academics, who take a collaborative approach to protect and advance freedom of expression and privacy in the ICT sector.
