Georgia’s score of freedom on the net decreased to 76 (on a scale of 0-100) by two points, but it still retains its place among the ‘free’ countries, according to the report released by Freedom House, the US-based rights watchdog.
The report highlights that Georgia maintained online freedom during the reporting period (June 1, 2022 – May 31, 2023), but faced concerns due to some incidents. These included the blocking of 480 websites by the telecommunications regulator for copyright violations without clear guidelines, a META report linking government departments to inauthentic social media accounts promoting “government-friendly talking points”, and the brief detention of an individual for criticizing police on Facebook in July 2022.
The report is divided into three parts, describing the situation in the countries in terms of obstacles to access, limits on content, and violations of user rights, which are then divided into subcategories with individual scoring that are summed up in the overall score. Notably, the report doesn’t cover the occupied territories of Abkhazia and Tskhinvali region/South Ossetia.
Obstacles to Access
Georgia’s score on obstacles to internet access remains at 19 of 25. The report cites infrastructure barriers as one of the challenges to Internet access in Georgia. In addition, there were challenges related to regulatory issues, as evidenced by criticism of the auction process for fifth-generation (5G) radio frequencies. There may also be delays in the timely implementation of projects, as evidenced by the delay in the launch of SpaceX’s Starlink services, which were expected to be available in 2023 but had not been launched by the end of the reporting period (the service became available in November 2023).
The report highlights that internet access is generally affordable in Georgia, with mobile broadband plans starting at 8 lari ($2.93) for 2 gigabytes (GB) and fixed broadband subscriptions ranging from 35 to 37 lari ($12.81 to $13.54) for speeds of 25-30 Mbps. Despite affordability, there are digital divides based on age and geography, with urban households having higher rates of Internet access than rural areas. Regions far from the capital suffer from underdeveloped fiber infrastructure, which affects the quality of connectivity.
The report indicates that the Georgian government does not impose restrictions on internet connectivity. The backbone internet infrastructure is managed by private companies, and there are minimal legal or regulatory barriers to diverse service providers, although market concentration limits competition.
The report delves into the concerns and challenges surrounding the Communications Commission (ComCom), Georgia’s main regulator of the ICT sector. It highlights issues related to transparency, independence, and perceived collaboration with the ruling party, resulting in discriminatory decisions against critical media outlets.
Limits on Content
Georgia’s score for limits on content on Internet decreased by 2 points from 2022 (to 29 out of 35). Georgia lost one point in the report because of the case, when the telecommunications regulator, ComCom, requested the blocking of hundreds of websites over several years. These requests targeted websites that displayed pirated, pornographic, or illegal content. IDFI’s report found that ComCom asked ISPs to block 480 websites between 2017 and the end of September 2022, primarily for copyright violations. However, statistics on website blocking are not proactively published by the relevant authorities.
Georgia lost another point due to government engagement in website blocking without providing a publicly available list of blocked sites. In addition, amendments to regulate media in the interest of minors raised concerns about potential restrictions on editorial independence. According to those amedments, the government banned online gambling advertising in December 2021 and restricted online gambling for individuals under the age of 25 in March 2022.
The report highlights instances in which the government, pro-government actors, and domestic political groups have attempted to manipulate online content to influence public opinion, particularly during demonstrations, election campaigns, and political crises. Disinformation campaigns have targeted CSOs and online media, and have intensified following specific political events, such as the EU’s refusal to grant Georgia the candidate status, the split within the ruling political party and demonstrations against “Foreign Agents” laws.
Cases of spreading false narratives about geopolitical events, such as the invasion of Ukraine, and targeting opposition media have also been observed. Regarding the diversification of the online media environment in Georgia, challenges remain in ensuring diverse representation and countering disinformation, particularly with regard to vulnerable groups and minority voices, such as the LGBTQ+ community.
Violations of User Rights
Georgia maintained its score of 28 out of 40. The report highlights that while the constitution and legal framework protect digital rights and freedom of expression, doubts remain about the ability of the judiciary to consistently enforce these protections due to limited independence. Despite constitutional guarantees, concerns have been raised about changes in judicial selection criteria and procedures, leading to opaque appointment processes and concerns about the qualifications and impartiality of appointed judges. There are also concerns about judicial pressure on the political opposition and critical media owners.
Georgia lost a point in this category because an individual was arrested for swearing at police on social media. This incident reflects a broader trend of occasional prosecutions for online activity. In one case, a TikTok user was fined for cursing the Mayor of Tbilisi and the police. Other cases include a person detained for 48 hours over a Facebook post insulting police, and an activist fined for defamation over a Facebook post. In addition, Misha Mshvildadze, a founder of Formula News, was questioned over a post calling for protests against former PM Garibashvili.
The report highlights the worrying state surveillance of Internet activity in Georgia, which poses a threat to the privacy rights of citizens. It discusses leaked files allegedly from the State Security Service (SSS) that revealed extensive surveillance of various individuals, including clergy, journalists, opposition leaders, and diplomats. These files contained sensitive information ranging from political views to personal relationships.
In addition, the report notes that online harassment and bullying of government opponents, critics, and women increased during the reporting period. However, the absence of significant cyberattacks on government websites during this period led to a slight improvement in the score, although cyberattacks have been a persistent problem in Georgia in recent years.
Also Read:
- 23/09/2021 – Georgia in Freedom House’s Internet Freedom 2021 Report
- 15/10/2020 – Georgia in Freedom House’s Internet Freedom Report
This post is also available in: ქართული (Georgian) Русский (Russian)
