Globally, spying and blocking are on the rise. In nearly one in three countries, politically sensitive Web content is blocked to moderate or severe extent, and only five countries in Web index (six percent) meet best practice standards for checks and balances on government interception of electronic communications (requiring a warrant from an independent court, substantive justification and transparency in the oversight process).
Provisions against cybercrime, terrorism, or blasphemy are frequently being employed to silence legitimate dissent or justifying blanket digital surveillance.