Ukraine has the Most Free Internet in CIS

KYIV, Ukraine, September 25, 2012 /PRNewswire/ --

Freedom House gave free internet freedom status to Ukraine, according to the organization's report Freedom on the Net 2012. A Global Assessment of Internet and Digital Media. The research showed correlation between the presence of elected representatives, free civil society, and independent courts and freedom on the net. The survey included 47 countries, with Ukraine receiving 27 points out of 100 (maximum points indicate the least free environment) - the best internet freedom result among the researched CIS countries.

Full text of the report: http://www.freedomhouse.org/sites/default/files/inline_images/FOTN%202012%20FINAL.pdf

Freedom House report features a Eurasia region table with Ukraine heading the list with its 27 points. The eastern European country is followed by fellow former Soviet socialist republic of Georgia with 30 points (the country received free internet freedom status as well). Ukraine's 27 points consist of 7 out of 25 in the Obstacles to Access category, 8 out of 35 in Limits on Content, and 12 out of 40 in Violations of User Rights. Comparably, the UK obtained 25 points: 1 point in Obstacles to Access, 8 points in Limits on Content, and 16 points in Violations of User Rights.

According to the report, Ukraine boasts no instances of web 2.0 applications blocking, no notable political censorship, and no bloggers or ICT users arrested. "Ukraine has relatively liberal legislation governing the internet and access to information", reads the report. Access to broadband internet in Ukraine is fairly affordable, internet penetration in Ukraine has been growing steadily, YouTube, Facebook, Twitter, Wordpress, and LiveJournal are freely available.

The government-induced challenges that Ukrainian internet users face include the so-called "trolls" (propagandist commentators) and complicated licensing procedures for operators. Attempts to induce legislative norms that might affect internet freedom "caused widespread concern from the Ukrainian media and international media rights groups"; whereas, "attempts to manipulate the online news landscape are not numerous", inform the authors. Notably, varied opinions representing the whole political spectrum in Ukraine are available online and "access to international media websites is also unfettered".

Russia's internet ranked partly free internet with 52 points, Turkey received 46 points, and Azerbaijan - 50. Ukraine's north-western neighbor Belarus received 69 points and the not free status of internet.