Paris (AFP)

The number of countries where internet users have suffered arrests and violence because of their posts reached a record high between June 2020 and May 2021, according to a report released on Tuesday.

If the network cuts in Burma and Belarus were the most salient points of the period under consideration, digital rights fell globally for the eleventh year in a row, underlines the American NGO Freedom House.

The report assesses the level of internet freedom in different countries, taking into account in particular access restrictions or the presence of pro-government "trolls" seeking to manipulate online debates.

"This year, Internet users have faced physical attacks in retaliation for their online activities in 41 countries," the report said, noting that this is the highest since its inception.

Among the examples cited: that of a Bangladeshi student hospitalized after a beating on suspicion of "anti-government activities" on social networks or that of a Mexican journalist murdered for posting a video on Facebook accusing a murder gang.

The authors add that in 56 of the 70 countries studied, citizens have been arrested or convicted for their digital activities, a record rate of 80%.

The military junta, which seized power in Burma in February, is heavily criticized for cutting off internet access, blocking social media and forcing tech companies to hand over private data.

Cuts were also seen ahead of a poll in Uganda in January and after a contested presidential election in Belarus in August 2020.

A total of 20 countries have blocked access to the internet for their citizens in one year.

Iceland tops the rankings ahead of Estonia and Costa Rica, the first country to have made internet access a fundamental right.

China, on the other hand, is considered the least respectful of digital freedoms and the most repressive country against dissident internet users.

Globally, the report's authors accuse governments of using the regulation of tech companies to justify crackdowns.

Many lawmakers are drafting anti-trust laws aimed at bringing tech giants like Google, Apple and Facebook to heel, an effort the report's authors believe is warranted.

However, they criticize countries like India or Turkey for their laws forcing social networks to remove any content deemed offensive or likely to violate public order, without these terms being clearly defined.

© 2021 AFP