Freedom on the Net 2018 report sheds light on the improvement and decline of Internet freedom in the MENA region

Freedom House released its annual publication, Freedom on the Net 2018: The Rise of Digital Authoritarianism. Out of the 65 countries assessed, 26 experienced a deterioration in Internet freedom, half of which was related to elections, and 19 demonstrated minor improvements. In the Middle East and North Africa, improvements were tracked in Bahrain, Jordan, Libya, and Syria, whereas declines were reported in Egypt, Lebanon, Saudi Arabia, and Sudan. The report also denotes that among the biggest offenders to Internet freedom in the Middle East and North Africa are Iran and Syria, followed by Saudi Arabia.