US Internet Freedom Drops for Third Year Amid Surveillance and Disinformation
Freedom House reports that the United States experiences a third consecutive yearly decline in internet freedom due to increased social media surveillance, warrantless device searches at borders, and rampant disinformation.
The United States experiences a third consecutive yearly decline in internet freedom, according to a new report from watchdog organization Freedom House. Although the country still maintains some of the highest internet freedoms globally, its ranking drops due to several troubling factors. Last year, researchers attribute a similar single-point decline to the repeal of net neutrality rules.
Social media platforms now serve as the primary battleground for democratic integrity, as state and partisan actors spread disinformation to distort facts during elections worldwide. Freedom House notes that propaganda proves more effective than traditional censorship on these digital networks. In response to the proliferation of fake news, governments attempt to intervene, but the report accuses leaders of co-opting these platforms for their own political benefit.
Both the United States and China are among the 40 countries that actively expand their monitoring of social media platforms. Law enforcement and immigration agencies increase public surveillance while actively avoiding oversight, transparency, and accountability mechanisms. Additionally, border authorities conduct warrantless searches of travelers' phones and even deny entry based on the social media posts of other people, further contributing to the decline in American internet freedom.