The Internet has fueled, and by some accounts may have even sparked, the wave of revolutions sweeping across the Middle East. So perhaps it’s little wonder that Iran, which has always kept a tight grip on its citizens’ access to the digital world, has stepped up its oppression to become the world’s number one enemy of Internet freedom.
In a report released last week from Freedom House, the civil liberties-focused non-profit analyzed the level of access to an unfettered Internet in 37 countries. Estonia was found to be the most liberal and connected, followed by the United States. Iran hit the bottom of the list, down significantly from the last time the report was compiled in 2009 and the country ranked above China, Tunisia, and Cuba.
