Freedom House Based on the score, Freedom House assigns the following internet freedom statuses: • • • Scores 100-70 = Free Scores 69-40 = Partly Free Scores 39-0 = Not Free Freedom House adopted a modified report production process for Freedom on the Net 2026. Staff members conducted robust research to analyze developments in the 38 countries covered by the report. Staff also reviewed each country’s scores based on established coding guidelines, through careful consideration of events, laws, and practices relevant to each indicator, and consulted independent experts to assess the comparative reliability and integrity of the scores for a majority of countries. Following the scoring process, Freedom House staff produced summaries of key developments in each country and again consulted with independent experts on the summaries for a subset of countries. Staff members conducted additional qualitative analysis on every country to identify the year’s most important global findings and emerging trends. In previous editions, Freedom House staff invited at least one researcher or organization to serve as the author for a full narrative report on each country, training them to assess internet freedom developments according to the project’s comprehensive research methodology. These authors submitted draft scores and country reports and attended a ratings review meeting focused on their region. During the meetings, participants reviewed, critiqued, and adjusted the draft scores based on the established coding guidelines. After completing the regional and country consultations, Freedom House staff edited all country reports and performed a final review of all scores to ensure their comparative reliability and integrity. Freedom on the Net scores were inverted in the 2019 edition to align with the scoring system for Freedom in the World, Freedom House’s flagship report on political rights and civil liberties. Checklist of Questions A. OBSTACLES TO ACCESS (0–25 POINTS) 1. Do infrastructural limitations restrict access to the internet or the speed and quality of internet connections? (0–6 points) • • Do individuals have access to high-speed internet services on fixed-broadband and mobile connections? Does poor infrastructure (including unreliable electricity) or severe damage to infrastructure (caused by events such as natural disasters or armed conflicts) limit residents’ ability to access the internet? 2. Is access to the internet prohibitively expensive or beyond the reach of certain segments of the population for geographical, social, or other reasons? (0–3 points) • • Do financial constraints—such as high prices for internet services, excessive taxes imposed on such services, or state manipulation of the relevant markets—make internet access prohibitively expensive for large segments of the population? Are there significant differences in internet penetration and access based on geographical area, or for certain ethnic, religious, gender, LGBT+, migrant, and other relevant groups? freedomhouse.org 27