Countries with the Highest Internet Freedom in 2022: How Does Indonesia Compare?

Freedom House has again scored internet freedom in 70 countries. The aim is to measure the ease of access, protection, and freedom of expression of citizens through the internet.

Iceland ranked first, scoring 95 out of 100. A low score (0) indicates the least freedom, while the highest score (100) indicates the most freedom.

This score is actually down from the previous survey's achievement of 96/100 in 2021.

Freedom House explains that internet users in Iceland enjoy almost universal connectivity, minimal restrictions on online content, and strong protection of user rights.

"Iceland is a parliamentary democracy with a long history of upholding political rights and civil liberties," wrote Freedom House in its report.

Estonia came in second, scoring 93 points. This is also a decrease from the previous 94 points in 2021.

Third is Costa Rica with 88 points. This is an increase from the previous 87 points.

What about Indonesia's position?

The report shows that Indonesia only scored 49 points. This is up from 48 points the previous year.

Freedom House states that internet freedom remains threatened in Indonesia, although conditions have improved at times.

The organization cites examples such as disrupted internet access in Papua; government critics, journalists, and ordinary citizens often face criminal charges and harassment as retaliation for their online activities.

"Authorities also forced technology companies to comply with laws imposing removal and registration requirements, blocking some platforms," wrote Freedom House.

China received the lowest score, with only 10 points.

There are at least three indicators that make up the score: obstacles to accessing the internet, content restrictions, and violations of user rights.

Each indicator has a number of questions scored from 0-6 points.

Here are the top 10 countries with the highest internet freedom in 2022:

* Iceland 95 points
* Estonia 93 points
* Costa Rica 88 points
* Canada 87 points
* United Kingdom 79 points
* Taiwan 79 points
* Georgia 78 points
* Germany 77 points
* Japan 77 points
* United States 76 points