TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Taiwan ranked first in internet freedom for Asia and seventh worldwide in Freedom House’s 2024 Freedom of the Net report published Wednesday (Oct. 16).

According to the report, global internet freedom decreased for the 14th year, with more countries experiencing declines in freedom than improvements. In three-quarters of the countries covered by the report, internet users faced arrest for nonviolent expression or prison sentences.

Myanmar’s internet freedom further deteriorated, marking the first time in a decade that a country has joined China at the bottom of the report, per CNA. Myanmar has been under military rule since 2021 and is systematically censoring and monitoring online speech.

Kyrgyzstan experienced the largest decline in score, with authorities shutting down media site Kloop. Conversely, Zambia saw the most significant improvement in internet freedom, with the report noting a growing space for internet activism.

Iceland has the highest internet freedom, followed by Estonia, Canada, Chile, and Costa Rica. The US maintained a score of 76 out of 100, while Freedom House commented it remains concerned about the lack of safeguards against government surveillance.

Freedom House added that the impact of these measures on internet freedom depends on the extent to which they prioritize transparency, civil society, democratic oversight, and international human rights. The report said South Africa, Taiwan, and the European Union (EU) are seen as the most promising models for the future.