An annual global research project by Freedom House assessing internet freedom and digital rights across countries. It examines barriers to access, online censorship and content restrictions, surveillance, privacy, freedom of expression, and the use of digital technologies for civic mobilisation. The 2025 edition covers 72 countries.
Why it matters for ENACT-AI
The resource connects technology with democracy, human rights, information access and civic participation. The 2025 edition specifically examines how governments are deploying and controlling new technologies, including AI, and discusses how AI can reinforce censorship, surveillance and information control.
Learning outcomes
Learners can explain what internet freedom means; identify forms of online censorship and surveillance; understand the relationship between digital rights and democracy; analyse how governments and other actors can influence online information; evaluate risks associated with AI-enabled control and manipulation; and discuss how digital technologies can either strengthen or undermine civic participation and human rights.
Suggested activity
“Is the Internet Really Free?” Give groups country profiles from the Freedom on the Net dataset. Students examine access restrictions, content controls and user-rights violations, then compare countries. Add an AI scenario—for example, an AI system used to identify “harmful” content or monitor citizens. Students debate: When does protecting users become censorship? Who should decide what an AI system can remove or monitor?