FREEDOM ON THE NET 2021 The Global Drive to Control Big Tech Acknowledgements Freedom on the Net is a collaborative effort between Freedom House staff and a network of more than 80 researchers, who come from civil society organizations, academia, journalism, and other backgrounds, covering 70 countries. In repressive environments, Freedom House takes care to ensure researchers’ anonymity and/or works with experts living abroad. Report authors This report was made possible by the generous support of Amazon, the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Google, the Internet Society, the Lilly Endowment, the New York Community Trust, the U.S. State Department’s Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor (DRL), and Verizon. Freedom House is committed to editorial independence. Our donors do not influence the organization’s research priorities, report findings, or policy recommendations. • CONTRIBUTORS Freedom House staff • • • • • • • • Adrian Shahbaz, Director, Technology and Democracy Allie Funk, Senior Research Analyst, Technology and Democracy Amy Slipowitz, Research Manager, Freedom in the World Kian Vesteinsson, Research Analyst, Technology and Democracy Grant Baker, Research Associate, Technology and Democracy Cathryn Grothe, Research Associate Manisha Vepa, Research Associate Tessa Weal, Research Associate, Technology and Democracy Elisha Aaron, David Meijer, Shannon O’Toole, and Tyler Roylance edited Freedom on the Net. Michael Abramowitz, Nicole Bibbins Sedaca, Annie Boyajian, Isabel Linzer, Sarah Repucci, Nate Schenkkan, and Jennifer Stapleton provided valuable feedback on the summary of findings. Noah Buyon served as an adviser on Europe and Eurasia, while Sarah Cook and Angeli Datt served as advisers for China and Taiwan. Moosa Waraich provided research assistance. • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • 36 @freedomonthenet Argentina: Eduardo Ferreyra, independent researcher Armenia: Samvel Martirosyan, co-founder of CyberHUB-AM Australia: Rose Dlougatch, lawyer Azerbaijan: Arzu Geybulla, Azerbaijan Internet Watch Brazil: Bruna Martins dos Santos, Advocacy Coordinator at Data Privacy Brazil Research Cambodia: Chak Sopheap, Cambodian Center for Human Rights Canada: Allen Mendelsohn, independent legal practitioner and McGill University Faculty of Law Colombia: Luisa Fernanda Isaza Ibarra, independent researcher Costa Rica: Luisa Ochoa Chaves, Freedom of Expression, Right to Information and Public Opinion Program (PROLEDI) and Communication Research Center (CICOM), University of Costa Rica (UCR); Giselle Boza Solano, PROLEDI UCR; Oscar Jimenez Alvarado, PROLEDI UCR Cuba: Ted A. Henken, Baruch College, City University of New York Ecuador: Iria Puyosa, Instituto de Investigaciones de la Comunicación Estonia: Hille Hinsberg and Kaspar Kala, Proud Engineers Ethiopia: Atnafu Brhane, Center for Advancement of Rights and Democracy France: Suzanne Vergnolle, postdoctoral researcher at Institut suisse de droit comparé Georgia: Teona Turashvili, Institute for Development of Freedom of Information Germany: Stina Lohmüller and Michael Puntschuh, iRights.Lab Hungary: Dalma Dojcsák, Hungarian Civil Liberties Union Iceland: Arnaldur Sigurðarson, independent researcher Indonesia: Sherly Haristya, independent researcher Iran: Melody Kazemi, Small Media Iraq: Hayder Hamzoz and Asia Abdulkareem, Iraqi Network for Social Media Italy: Philip Di Salvo, London School of Economics and Università della Svizzera italiana; Antonella Napolitano, Privacy International Japan: Hamada Tadahisa, Japan Computer Access for Empowerment #FreedomOnTheNet