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Freedom House, a non-profit organization based in Washington, D.C., known for its advocacy on issues of democracy, political freedom, and human rights, has released its annual report, Freedom on the Net. In the global ranking, Morocco received a score of 54 out of 100 points. The report analyzed 72 countries, which together account for about 87 percent of the world's internet users.
Countries were divided into three categories: free, partially free, and not free, with Morocco classified as partially free. In last year's report, Morocco scored 51 points.
The report primarily focuses on «violations of users' rights», «limits on content», and «obstacles to access» information in the studied countries.
Among the Maghreb countries, the report included Morocco, Tunisia, and Libya, with Tunisia scoring 60 points and Libya scoring 43 points.
According to the report, online freedom has seen a global decline for the fourteenth consecutive year. Human rights protections online decreased in 27 out of the 72 countries surveyed, while 18 countries experienced improvements.
Kyrgyzstan recorded the sharpest deterioration this year, and China shares the title of the world's worst environment for internet freedom with Myanmar. In contrast, Iceland retained its status as the most free online environment, while Zambia achieved the largest improvement in scores.
Freedom of expression threatened online
The report highlights that freedom of expression online has been threatened by severe prison sentences and escalating violence. In three-quarters of the countries examined, internet users faced arrest for non-violent expression, sometimes receiving prison sentences of more than ten years.
Additionally, users were physically attacked or killed for their online activities in a record number of at least 43 countries. Internet shutdowns and penalties for online speech have created even more dangerous environments, particularly for those affected by major armed conflicts worldwide.
In at least 21 out of 41 countries, pro-government commentators manipulated online information, raising doubts about the fairness of future electoral outcomes and fostering long-term distrust in democratic institutions.
Furthermore, government interference and reduced transparency on major social media platforms have negatively impacted independent researchers and media outlets' efforts to shed light on election-related influence operations.
