Internet freedom is declining around the world, fueled by advances in AI, a new report warns.
According to Freedom House’s new report, Freedom on the Net 2023: The Repressive Power of Artificial Intelligence, governments are using automated systems to ramp up online censorship, while distributors of disinformation are using AI tools to fabricate images, audio and text.
In at least 22 countries, says the report, legal frameworks require digital platforms to use machine learning to remove political, social and religious speech that doesn’t support national ideology.
“AI can be used to supercharge censorship, surveillance and the creation and spread of disinformation,” says Michael J. Abramowitz, president of Freedom House.
“This is a critical issue for our time, as human rights online are a key target of today’s autocrats. Democratic states should bolster their regulation of AI to deliver more transparency, provide effective oversight mechanisms and prioritize the protection of human rights.”
The report warns that even democracies are relying too heavily on the industry to regulate itself, and calls on policymakers to develop strong human rights standards for both state and non-state players—including robust transparency and independent oversight.
“When designed and deployed safely and fairly, AI can help people evade authoritarian censorship, counter disinformation and document human rights abuses,” says report coauthor Allie Funk, Freedom House’s research director for technology and democracy.
“The lessons we have collectively learned from the past decade of internet policy discussions—regarding government oversight, the need for robust global civil society engagement and the problem of overreliance on self-regulation—provide a promising roadmap for this new era.”
Over the last year, Iran’s score worsened the most, as authorities shut down internet services and blocked social media to stifle anti-government protests. Meanwhile, the Philippines, Belarus, Costa Rica and Nicaragua also saw significant declines.
However, finds the report, people in at least 55 countries faced legal repercussions for expressing themselves online, and governments in 41 countries blocked websites hosting political, social and religious speech.
Overall, China kept the dubious honor of having the world’s worst environment for internet freedom for the ninth year in a row—although Myanmar, where death sentences have been carried out for crimes related to online expression, gave it a run for its money.
On the brighter side, Iceland kept its place as the best environment for internet freedom for the fifth consecutive year, followed by Estonia. Sri Lanka showed the biggest improvement, with the authorities removing the blocks on social media platforms that it put in place in April 2022 during mass anti-government protests.
The report highlights the U.S. as the world leader in attempting to combat spyware, with an executive order earlier this year banning federal agencies from the operational use of commercial spyware products that pose a threat to national security or counterintelligence, or that could be employed by foreign governments to violate human rights or target people from the U.S.
“While this is a welcome step forward, the White House should work with Congress to make the order’s provisions permanent law through bipartisan legislation, ensuring that the prohibition remains in place under future administrations,” reads the report.
The EU, meanwhile, should follow its example: “Robust action from Brussels would send a very strong signal to spyware purveyors that their irresponsible trade will no longer be tolerated, particularly those operating within the EU’s borders,” the authors say.
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