Report: Internet Freedom in Africa Improves, but Problem Areas Remain

By ADF On Dec 17, 2024

Internet freedom among African countries is improving but has room to grow as citizens face government restrictions, barriers to access and unreliable electricity, according to a report by Freedom House. AFP/GETTY IMAGES

ADF STAFF

After years of restricting online dissent, Zambia emerged in 2024 as a model for improved internet freedom, according to the most recent Freedom on the Net report by Freedom House.

Zambia saw the biggest improvement in internet freedom of the 72 countries studied between mid-2023 and mid-2024. On a scale of 0 (not free) to 100 (free), Zambia improved from 59 in 2023 to 62 in 2024.

In recent years, Zambia has improved its online environment. In 2022, the government abolished Section 67 of the Penal Code Act that punished people for defaming the president. In December 2023, legislators passed the Access to Information Act, increasing the availability of government-held information.

“There are a variety of viewpoints and independent information sources in Zambia’s online information landscape,” Freedom House analysts wrote. “As a result, social media platforms and citizen journalists have emerged as important sources of diverse information, and news consumers have become increasingly aware of alternative, diverse voices from online sources.”

Zambia ranks fourth among the 17 African nations in Freedom House’s study. Of those, only South Africa, with a score of 74, is rated “free.”

Along with Zambia, 11 other nations are rated as “partly free,” including: Ghana (65), Kenya (64), Tunisia (60), Angola (59), Malawi (59), Nigeria (59), The Gambia (56), Morocco (54), Uganda (53), Zimbabwe (48) and Libya (43).

At the bottom of the list, rated as “not free,” are Rwanda (36), Egypt (28), Sudan (28) and Ethiopia (17).

According to the report’s authors, Freedom House chose the 72 countries in its analysis “to illustrate internet freedom improvements and declines in a variety of political systems.”

Overall, internet freedom in Africa improved over the past year, with seven countries recording net gains and six seeing declines.

As Ethiopia fights rebels in the Amhara region, the government used a state of emergency declaration to restrict internet service in conflict zones until July. By limiting the information coming out of those areas, particularly reporting on human rights violations, the government has encouraged the spread of misinformation and propaganda.

“Online journalists imprisoned at military camps under the state of emergency faced inhumane conditions during their detentions, including a lack of access to medical care and reports of torture,” Freedom House reported.

Even as online conditions improved in some places, Freedom House’s report showed an overall decline in internet freedom globally for the 14th year in a row.

Although 5 billion people have internet access around the world, many face restrictions and challenges:

79% live in countries where they can be arrested or imprisoned for posting content the government deems improper.
66% live in countries where governments have deployed progovernment propagandists to manipulate online discussions.
48% live in countries where governments switch off the internet, often during elections or periods of political unrest.

In addition to those problems, online actors have begun using artificial intelligence to spread disinformation and propaganda.

Among the African nations Freedom House studied, the reliability of the electrical grid continues to plague internet users as countries such as South Africa are forced to impose brownouts or blackouts to manage electricity demand. Zambia, for example, is dealing with a drought-induced decline in hydropower, which supplies 80% of its electricity.

As one of Africa’s earliest adopters of the internet, Zambia has had a presence online since the 1990s. As of December 2022, the Zambia Information and Communications Technology Authority estimated that the country had 11.1 million internet users, which is more than half the population.

As Africa’s digital infrastructure and users continues to grow, online freedom of expression continues to face scrutiny from overzealous government regulators. Governments around the world must dedicate themselves to creating more freedom online rather than more restrictions, the analysts added.

“Protecting freedom of expression will require strong legal and regulatory safeguards for digital communications and access to information,” Freedom House wrote.