SINGAPORE — Citing a string of recent developments here, a report issued last week by United States-based non-governmental organisation Freedom House said there is less Internet freedom in Singapore compared with a year ago.

In the Freedom on the Net 2015 report, Singapore scored 41 on a scale of zero to 100 — the lower the score, the greater the freedom. Singapore was given a score of 40 in the previous report.

Out of the 65 countries studied in the latest report — which looked at the period between June last year and May — 31 fared better than Singapore, and 33 worse. With a score of six, Iceland had the greatest Internet freedom, followed by Estonia (7) and Canada (16). At the other end of the spectrum were Syria (87), Iran (87) and China (88).

On Singapore, the report cited several “key developments” including the Amos Yee case, Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong’s successful defamation suit against blogger Roy Ngerng, the Government’s order for The Real Singapore website to shut down after it had published articles that were against public interest and national harmony, as well as the enactment of the Protection from Harassment Act that criminalises cyberbullying, among other things.

Freedom House also referred to the charging of the couple running TRS — Singaporean Yang Kaiheng, 26, and Australian Ai Takagi, 22 — and Filipino Ello Ed Mundsel Bello under the Sedition Act in separate cases. Bello, 29, who disparaged Singaporeans on social media, was sentenced to four months’ jail.

“During preparations for the elections in late 2015, the government showed heightened sensitivity toward online dissent, resulting in a series of unprecedented actions during the coverage period,” the report said.

The report measured each country’s level of Internet and digital media freedom “based on a set of methodology questions developed in consultation with international experts”, Freedom House said. Countries are scored on questions under three categories: Obstacles to access, limits on content and violations of user rights. Overall, the report found that Internet freedom has declined around the world for the fifth consecutive year, with content removals, arrests and intimidation on the rise.

Although digital connectivity in Singapore has grown quickly, the Government here “remains wary of the technology’s potential for liberalising political debate and enhancing democratic participation”, the report said.

Singapore were given the status “partly free” for its internet freedom.

Freedom House — which champions freedom globally through analysis, advocacy and action — highlighted the significance of TRS’ shutdown: “The government has kept a 1996 promise not to block or filter any political content. However, in May 2015, it took the unprecedented step of ordering a political website to shut down, on the grounds that it had violated the Internet Code of Practice.”

“The government’s restrictions on online debate have not been severe enough to neutralise the Internet’s importance as a space for alternative and more authentic voices,” said the report, adding that antigovernment views can be frequently seen in comment spaces, forums and social media.

Freedom House said the Internet in Singapore remained “largely unhindered” and is significantly more open than print or broadcasting for news and political discourse. However, it said that the growth of independent news and organised activism may be discouraged and slowed due to the restrictions.

Under the class licensing scheme introduced in 2013, which comes under the Broadcasting Act, sites required to register with the Media Development Authority (MDA) include those which promote or discuss political or religious issues relating to Singapore, and those of registered political parties.

Freedom House said 82 per cent of households in Singapore had Internet access last year, while mobile phone subscriptions outnumbered residents by 58 per cent. There were also no known restrictions placed on ICT connectivity or access to social media and communication apps.

The report found that Singapore’s digital divide mainly cut along generational lines.

“While close to 100 per cent of residents aged 7 to 34 reported in 2012 that they had used the Internet in the past year, the percentage was 51 per cent for those in their 50s and 16 per cent for those 60 and older,” said the report.

Iceland topped the Freedom on the Net 2015 survey with a score of 6 and was deemed “free”, while China scored the worst at 88 and was considered “not free”.

The US and Australia both scored 19, sitting just behind Germany (18).

In Southeast Asia, the Philippines fared the best with a score of 27, while others on the list were Indonesia (42), Malaysia (43), Cambodia (48), Thailand (63), Myanmar (63) and Vietnam (76).

Key findings from the report found that globally, content removals have increased as authorities in 42 of the 65 countries assessed required private companies or Internet users to restrict or to delete web content dealing with political, religious, or social issues, up from 37 the previous year.

Governments in 14 out of 65 countries assessed passed new laws to increase surveillance since June 2014 and many more upgraded their surveillance equipment.

Arrests and intimidation also escalated, with authorities in 40 of 65 countries imprisoning people for sharing information concerning politics, religion or society through digital networks.

According to Freedom House, democracies and authoritarian regimes alike stigmatised encryption as an instrument of terrorism and many tried to ban or limit tools that protect privacy. ADDITIONAL REPORTING BY KHAIRUL AMRI MOHD SIDIK