Freedom House launched its global report on Freedom on the Net for the year 2021, which investigated whether internet freedom in countries around the world has declined or improved since 2020.

This year, Manushya Foundation has developed the Freedom on the Net 2021 country report for Thailand, highlighting laws, state intervention in the digital sphere, cases that impact the rights of Thai netizens online. Thailand scored 36 out of 100 regarding their overall internet freedom, placing them under the ‘Not Free’ category. The internet is severely restricted in Thailand. Authorities responded to youth-led anti-government protests — which started in July 2020 and continued throughout the coverage period—by arresting and harassing internet users and pro-democracy leaders who criticized the monarchy. In one of the most draconian cases, a former public servant was sentenced to 43 years in prison. The government also continued to enforce a repressive emergency declaration issued in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, which imposed further constraints on freedom of expression.