"Internet freedoms 'under attack' in Middle East and North Africa, says Freedom House" 23 September 2021

All Middle Eastern and North African countries featured in a new online freedoms report have been ranked as “partly free” or “not free”, with many experiencing a decline in digital freedoms over the past year. 

In a ‘Freedom of the Net 2021’ report...the MENA region was the only region in the world to have no countries listed as “free” when it comes to online expression. 

Instead, government crackdowns, arbitrary arrests and restrictive laws on data and online access have resulted in an environment that mutes and stifles freedom of speech online across the region. 

“Seven countries in the region witnessed internet freedom declines this year, which unfortunately is not surprising due to many governments’ march towards digital authoritarianism” [said Cathryn Grothe from Freedom House].

Tunisia was ranked highest in the region at 63 out of 100 for digital freedoms, a -1 drop from the previous year. In comparison...

While Egypt and Saudi Arabia stayed the same, Lebanon, Libya, Jordan and the UAE all experienced a decline in digital freedoms from 2020. 

Five MENA countries were listed among a handful of nations that censor online conversations by blocking access to social media apps and communication platforms. 

...Jordan [was] included in the list, following [its] crackdown on popular audio-only app Clubhouse. Jordan has also placed arbitrary bans on WhatsApp calls, while Facebook and Twitter have been blocked by Iranian authorities. 

In Egypt, fledgling app TikTok has been targeted by the government, with two TikTok stars Haneen Hossam and Mawada al Adham receiving 6 to 10 years in prison for allegations of human trafficking on the app. 

“Free expression is under unprecedented strain around the world,” read the new report.