Freedom House individuals and entities and the Chinese-owned social media applications TikTok and WeChat—an order that a federal judge had already suspended due to First Amendment concerns. Further action against Chinese companies may be on the horizon, however, as Biden asked the Department of Commerce to investigate whether mobile apps owned by foreign adversaries presented risks to US national security and users’ data privacy. In a positive move to address the country’s persistent gaps in access, legislators increased funding for broadband connectivity and other internet services in a December 2020 COVID-19 relief package and in a proposed infrastructure bill in 2021. China’s ongoing digital authoritarianism The Chinese government remained the world’s worst abuser of internet freedom. New legislation criminalized expression that insults members of the armed forces, “heroes,” and “martyrs.” Authorities imposed draconian prison terms for online dissent, including an 18-year sentence against real-estate mogul Ren Zhiqiang, whose essay criticizing Communist Party chief Xi Jinping’s handling of the COVID-19 pandemic had circulated widely online. Ordinary users also continued to face legal repercussions for mundane daily activities like sharing news stories, talking about their religious beliefs, or communicating with family members overseas. Content related to COVID-19 remained one of the most censored topics in 2021. State media outlets, official social media accounts, and other actors with suspected government affiliations flooded the information space with false claims about the danger of US vaccines and the geographical origin of the virus. The internet regulator introduced new rules to restrict independently operated social media accounts that publish about current affairs, leading to the removal of many accounts. Nevertheless, some courageous users continued to test the boundaries of the state’s internet controls. Clubhouse, a new app for real-time audio discussions, provided an unprecedented space for users to discuss sensitive issues with people outside of mainland China, until it was blocked in February 2021. A final post on the Weibo app by COVID19 whistleblower Dr. Li Wenliang has served as a place for frustrated citizens to express themselves since his death in February 2020. And women’s rights supporters pushed back against misogynistic cyberbullying and censorship by tech companies. @freedomhouse The Chinese government remained the world’s worst abuser of internet freedom for the seventh year in a row. Free expression in danger Free expression is under unprecedented strain around the world. In 56 countries, a record 80 percent of those covered by Freedom on the Net, people were arrested or convicted for their online speech. Several governments this year also imposed especially egregious sentences. In December 2020, Iranian authorities executed Ruhollah Zam, who administered the popular Amad News channel on Telegram, after he was accused of inciting protests and being affiliated with foreign intelligence services. In January 2021, a court in Thailand sentenced a former civil servant to 43 years in prison after she was found guilty of violating the country’s draconian lèse-majesté law through her social media posts criticizing the monarchy. And in June 2021, an Egyptian court sentenced online influencers Haneen Hossam and Mawada al-Adham to 6 and 10 years in prison, respectively, for supposedly violating a human trafficking law by sharing TikTok videos that encouraged women to pursue careers on social media platforms. This year, users faced physical attacks in retribution for their online activities in 41 countries, another record high for Freedom on the Net. Members of the student wing of Bangladesh’s ruling party violently assaulted a Dhaka University law student in August 2020, leaving him hospitalized in critical condition, in reprisal for alleged “antigovernment activities” on social media. Local police in Azerbaijan visited a user’s home in January 2021 and lured him outside by claiming to represent a municipal employment center. He was then beaten, detained, and forced to apologize for Facebook posts in which he criticized local government officials. In Mexico, Pablo Morrugares Parraguirre, founder and editor of the news site PM Noticias, was killed by unidentified gunmen in August 2020 after he stated in a Facebook video that a local gang was responsible for a taxi driver’s murder. At least 20 countries’ governments shut off the internet this year, and 21 states blocked social media and communication platforms, most often during times freedomhouse.org 7