DIGITAL SAFETY AND INTERNET FREEDOM IN SOUTH AND SOUTHEAST ASIA 2022

Digital threats and attacks are impacting the work of human rights defenders and members of at-risk communities in South and Southeast Asia. Simultaneously, internet freedom is being undermined by cyber laws that limit or prohibit secure, safe, and private communications, and has been further eroded through practices and policies of telecommunications companies that fail to protect their customers’ freedom of expression and privacy rights.
With the dramatic growth of mobile broadband penetration in South and Southeast Asia, email, messaging apps, and social media have become invaluable tools for human rights defenders’ communications and advocacy work. However, the same digital technologies and
platforms have also been used to mount attacks against those who are protecting human rights and speaking out against injustices.
Sophisticated strategies are being deployed by a range of actors to intercept communications and take over accounts. Cyber laws that
are intended to improve safety online are often used to criminalise activities that criticise governments. Online harassment and cyber violence against human rights defenders and at-risk communities are on the rise, demoralising them and dramatically impacting the work
they do.
There is an urgent need for civil society and organisations that support and strengthen democracy, including donors and policy influencers, to better understand how internet freedom restrictions and digital attacks impact the protection and promotion of human
rights and democratic principles. This report synthesises the findings from the country reports, contains a summary of trends and offers recommendations.

The bulk of the research in the country reports was gathered between November 2021 and January 2022, and was guided by a common research framework . Download Report from here .