Epress.am News from Armenia
Freedom House’s “Freedom on the Net – 2014” report has placed Armenia as ‘Free’ in regards to Internet freedom. Armenia was given a score of 28, 3 points away (31) from being partially free.
The Freedom on the Net 2014 report looks at various aspects of Internet freedom, such as obstacles to access, limits on content, and violations of user rights.
According to Freedom House, Armenia has an Internet penetration of 46% as of 2013. The organization claims that there has never been any blocked social media/ICT apps, political/social content, or bloggers or ICT users arrested, however, the country's press freedom status is considered ‘not free.’
Armenia scored highest in obstacles to access with a score of 7. Internet access has been increasing drastically from 6.2% in 2008 to 46% in 2013. Other studies with different methodologies put the number at a higher percentage.
3G services is available for 90% of the country. The Russian-based company Rostelecom has invested in increasing fiber optic connections throughout the country and launched services in Ashtarak, Gyumri, and Abovyan.
Operator’s plans and the development of their networks is done without any coordination with either the government or the regulatory authority.
Freedom House considers the entrance of a fourth mobile phone network as an improvement. Ucom Telecommunications Company, a well known Internet provider, will begin its mobile phone network services on January 1, 2015.
In regards to limits on content, the report scores Armenia with a 9 and notes that the only significant case was during the state of emergency after the post-election events of March 1, 2008, when 8 people died during clashes between protesters and the police. Most incidents of blocked sites in Armenia were because they were blocked in Russia as well, however, those sites were unblocked when the issue was raised.
The report states that; “the Armenian government and the ruling political elite have avoided the application of any extralegal measures to prevent political opponents or independent Internet resources from publishing on-line content. However, similar to traditional media outlets such as television or printed press, Armenian Internet news resources are exposed to political pressure.”
In regards to political pressure, in 2013, two journalist Kima Yeghiazaryan (Hayots Ashkhar) and Armen Dulyan (Shant TV) were fired for dissenting political opinions posted on Facebook.
However, the report highlights an on-line campaign (Dem.am) about pension reforms which succeeded in leading to a policy change, eliminating the proposed requirement for mandatory pension contributions
A score of 12 was given for violations of user rights. Laws exist to safeguard certain rights for journalists, and protect from defamation (which often abused politically). Individuals' personal data can only be gathered under a court order.
Armenia and Georgia are the only ‘free’ countries in the immediate region. Russia, Azerbaijan, and Turkey are all ‘partially free,’ while Iran and Belarus are ‘not free.’
The countries with the highest scores are Iceland and Estonia.