Global internet freedom declined for the 14th consecutive year as conditions deteriorated in 27 countries and improved in 18 others, according to Freedom on the Net 2024: The Struggle for Trust Online. The report released on October 16, 2024 by Freedom House found that internet freedom in Thailand remained under threat. The report also found that governments in at least 25 of the 72 countries under analysis cut off internet access, restricted access to social media platforms, or blocked websites hosting political, social, and religious speech during electoral periods, often with the intention of shaping the results.

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Internet freedom remained severely restricted in Thailand as pro-democracy activists and journalists faced arrest, surveillance, extralegal harassment, and violent attacks in retaliation for their online content. Internet users continued to be charged with lèse-majesté, with some receiving heavy prison sentences for defaming the monarchy online.

 

“Our 2024 report reveals growing repression in Thailand, where pro-democracy activists and journalists face arrests, surveillance, and harassment over online content. Despite hopes for change in the 2023 Thai election, the military-appointed Senate blocked the Move Forward Party (MFP)—the pro-democracy opposition that won the most seats—from forming a government, reinforcing the establishment’s hold on power. Online surveillance and lèse-majesté charges continue to target activists and MFP members alike, including Bas Mongkol, who has now received a sentence of more than 54 years, the harshest yet for alleged defamation of the monarchy. These actions reflect an intensified effort to stifle opposition voices and maintain control," Emilie Palamy Pradichit, the Founder & Executive Director of Manushya Foundation.

 

The report also found that governments turned to arrests, violence, and other forms of repression to silence online speech outside of electoral periods. In at least 56 countries, internet users were arrested due to their political, social, or religious expression. People were physically attacked or killed in retaliation for their online activities in a record high of at least 43 countries. Some of the most serious abuses took place in the context of armed conflicts. Internet shutdowns amid such fighting plunged civilians into information vacuums, prevented journalists from reporting on the violence, and hampered the delivery of lifesaving aid.

 

“Alarming trends in Thailand exemplify what we’re seeing around the world. Violent attacks and intimidation to silence online speech grew more widespread over the past year, when many around the world were preparing to head to the polls. A free and open internet is indispensable for a well-functioning democracy in the 21st century,” Allie Funk, Research Director for Technology and Democracy, Freedom House.

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KEY GLOBAL REPORT FINDINGS

• Global internet freedom declined for the 14th consecutive year. Protections for human rights online diminished in 27 of the 72 countries covered by Freedom on the Net 2024, with 18 earning improvements. Kyrgyzstan suffered the largest score decline (−4) on the report’s 100-point scale, followed by Azerbaijan (−3), Belarus (−3), Iraq (−3), and Zimbabwe (−3). In contrast, internet freedom improved the most in Zambia (+3), as space for online activism opened.

 

• Myanmar and China ranked as the world’s worst environments for internet freedom. Myanmar declined (−1) to tie with China for the worst total score in the report (9), marking the first time any country has ranked as low as China in a decade. Myanmar’s military has conducted a brutally violent crackdown on dissent since seizing power in a 2021 coup, using an extensive censorship and surveillance system to suppress criticism and jailing thousands of people for their online speech.

 

• Voters’ ability to make informed decisions and fully participate in the electoral process was undermined by censorship and content manipulation. In at least 25 of the 41 countries under study that held or prepared for nationwide elections during the report’s coverage period, governments blocked websites hosting political, social, and religious speech; restricted access to social media platforms; or cut off internet connectivity altogether. In at least 21 of the 41 countries, pro-government commentators manipulated online information, often promoting falsehoods about the democratic process itself. Meanwhile, partisan efforts to delegitimize independent fact-checkers and researchers chilled their crucial work.

 

• Campaigns and propagandists used generative AI during major elections. A largely unregulated environment for generative artificial intelligence (AI) allowed political campaigns to use the new technology in a variety of ways, ranging from innocuous to highly deceptive. Generative AI tools were employed by parties and candidates to churn out appealing memes, mock political opponents, reach more diverse audiences, and even bypass state censorship in the most authoritarian settings. In the more concerning cases, malign actors used generative AI to create false and misleading information, augmenting older methods of content manipulation. However, the practical difficulty of identifying and analyzing generative AI campaigns has contributed to a major research gap in understanding the technology’s impact. 

 

• Many governments took steps aimed at addressing an unreliable information space during their electoral periods, with mixed results for internet freedom. The interventions included enforcing rules related to online content, supporting fact-checking and digital literacy initiatives, and adopting new guidelines to limit the use of generative AI in campaigning. While some measures failed to adequately protect free expression and access to diverse information, the most promising models came from South Africa, Taiwan, and the European Union.

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KEY THAILAND FINDINGS 

• In November 2023, the National Broadcasting and Telecommunications Commission (NBTC) approved the sale of broadband service provider 3BB to Advanced Info Service (AIS). The sale will make AIS the largest fixed-line broadband provider in Thailand and effectively establish a duopoly in the broadband market (see A4).

• In November 2023, the Thai Public Broadcasting Service (Thai PBS) removed an interview it posted with Taiwan’s minister of foreign affairs. Thai PBS had facing public pressure from the Chinese embassy in Bangkok and the Thai Senate Foreign Affairs Committee to adhere to the “One China” policy, which considers Taiwan to be an inalienable part of China (see B2).

• In January 2024, Mongkol “Bas” Tirakot, a jailed pro-democracy activist, was sentenced to an additional 22 years in prison under Section 112 of the criminal code for 11 counts of lèse-majesté violations. This effectively extended his sentence to 50 years, which would be the longest sentence ever served under the provision (see C3).

• In June 2023, Yingcheep Atchanont, a legal reform advocate, and Anon Nampa, a prodemocracy human rights lawyer and activist, filed a lawsuit against nine Thai government agencies, seeking 2,500,000 baht ($71,000) in damages for the violation of their privacy through the government’s alleged use of Pegasus spyware in previous years (see C5).

• In July 2023, Chalermchai Sirinanthawitthaya, an editor at online financial news outlet Thunhoon Newspaper, received a package which included photos of his children, bullets, and a threatening note. That same day, attackers threw explosives at the home of Boonmee Onnom, another Thunhoon Newspaper editor, which Boonmee believed was in response to the paper’s reporting on stock price fluctuations, which may have resulted in investors pulling out of some companies (see C7).

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"Internet freedom remains under significant threat in Thailand, with authorities closely monitoring online content and particularly targeting activists and journalists. Many continue to be arrested or face legal action for speaking out online. While there is some room for political discussion, the fear of punishment still prevents many from fully participating. It is essential to build a digital space where freedom of expression is genuinely safeguarded, allowing people to share their opinions without fear of retaliation.” Ploypitcha Uerfuer, Human Rights Research and Advocacy Consultant, Manushya Foundation. 

 

The report identifies steps that policymakers, regulators, and tech companies can adopt to foster internet freedom. Click here to read the full report and policy recommendations.

 

Freedom on the Net is an annual study of human rights in the digital sphere. The project now assesses internet freedom in 72 countries, accounting for 87 percent of the world’s internet users. This report, the 14th in its series, covered developments between June 2023 and May 2024. More than 95 analysts and advisers contributed to this year’s edition, using a standard methodology to determine each country’s internet freedom score on a 100-point scale, with 21 separate indicators pertaining to obstacles to access, limits on content, and violations of user rights. The Thailand report can be found here. 

 

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For media inquiries, please contact:

 

• Emilie Palamy Pradichit, Founder & Executive Director of Manushya Foundation and report co-author of Freedom on the Net: Thailand Country Report, on Twitter @EmiliePradichit or emilie@manushyafoundation.org

• Jim Baird, Public Relations Director at Freedom House, baird@freedomhouse.org.