According to the 'Freedom on the Net 2023' report, which country has ranked as the world's worst environment for Internet freedom for the ninth consecutive year?

Solution

According to a new report by Freedom House, a Washington DC-based non-profit, global Internet freedom has declined for the 13th consecutive year The environment for human rights online has deteriorated in 29 countries, with only 20 countries registering net gains The report, titled ‘Freedom on the Net 2023: The Repressive Power of Artificial Intelligence’, has raised a red flag on the increasing use of artificial intelligence by governments for censorship and spread of disinformation The report, the 13th edition of an annual study of human rights online, covers developments between June 2022 and May 2023 It evaluates Internet freedom in 70 countries, accounting for 88% of the world’s Internet users As per the report, the sharpest rise in digital repression was witnessed in Iran, where authorities shut down Internet service, blocked WhatsApp and Instagram, and increased surveillance in a bid to quell anti-government protests China, for the ninth straight year, ranked as the world’s worst environment for Internet freedom, with Myanmar the world’s second most repressive for online freedom The report evaluates countries on five censorship methods — Internet connectivity restrictions, blocks on social media platforms, blocks on websites, blocks on VPNs, and forced removal of content — and India engaged in all of them except one (VPN blocking)