11-15, 16:30–17:30 (Asia/Beirut), Station
The session will draw on new findings, data, and recommendations from Freedom House's newly released Freedom on the Net 2022 report. Participants will leave the discussion armed with concrete recommendations for civil society, governments, and tech companies to counter digital authoritarianism and ensure human rights online are protected in the region.
Internet freedom is deteriorating in the Middle East and North Africa, all while digital authoritarianism is flourishing. The session will explore new findings and data from the Freedom on the Net 2022 report and feature a robust discussion between civil society speakers from the region, moderated by a Freedom on the Net researcher. Freedom on the Net is Freedom House’s annual survey and analysis of internet freedom around the world. It features a ranked, country-by-country assessment of online freedom, a global overview of the latest developments, as well as in depth country reports.
The conversation will highlight key obstacles to internet freedom in the region from the past year and the persistent challenges facing digital rights defenders in their countries. Specifically, panelists will discuss how censorship, surveillance, legislation, and the rise of cyber-sovereignty all contribute to the degradation of internet freedom in the region. The session will also use Freedom on the Net data to show how digital authoritarianism has been flourishing in the region.
Participants will also hear recommendations for civil society, governments, and tech companies about how they can counter digital authoritarianism.
"""حرية الإنترنت آخذة في التدهور في الشرق الأوسط وشمال أفريقيا، وذلك في ظلّ انتشار الاستبداد الرقمي. ستبحث الجلسة في النتائج والبيانات الجديدة من تقرير ""حرية الإنترنت لعام 2022"" وستتضمن مناقشة معمّقة بين متحدّثين من المجتمع المدني من المنطقة، يقوم بتيسيرها أحد باحثي ""حرية الإنترنت"". و""حرية الإنترنت"" هو الاستطلاع والتحليل السنوي الذي تجريه مؤسسة ""فريدوم هاوس"" (Freedom House) حول حرية الإنترنت في جميع أنحاء العالم. وينطوي على تقييم مصنّف حسب كل دولة لحرية الإنترنت، ولمحة عامة عالمية على آخر التطورات، وكذلك في التقارير القطرية المعمّقة.
سيستمع المشاركون أيضًا إلى توصيات للمجتمع المدني والحكومات وشركات التكنولوجيا حول كيفية مواجهة الاستبداد الرقمي""."
Cathryn is a Research Analyst at Freedom House covering the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) for Freedom in the World, Freedom on the Net, and Election Watch for the Digital Age. Her research focuses on technology, democracy, and human rights in the MENA region. Grothe's writing has been published in various regional and international outlets. Prior to joining Freedom House, Grothe worked at Women Deliver on issues related to humanitarian advocacy, gender-based violence, and refugee rights. She has extensive experience working with civil society organizations in Lebanon on gender equality programming. Grothe holds a M.A. in international relations from the University of Chicago and a B.A. in political science and public health from New York University.