The COVID-19 pandemic has reinforced the role of the Internet as a basic necessity, indispensable to conducting work, attending school, and participating in social and political activities. In January 2021, around 59.5 % of the world’s population was using the Internet, 10% of which is in Southeast Asia. As the Internet continuously grows, it has also become a battleground for human rights, with state and non-state actors using it to either put people at risk of human rights abuses or prevent individuals from fully and safely exercising their Internet freedoms.
To empower parliamentarians (MPs) to advocate for internet freedoms, Asean Parliamentarians for Human Rights (APHR) in partnership with the ICNL, presents this Toolkit for Parliamentarians: Promoting Internet Freedoms in Southeast Asia. It introduces the international norms and standards governing internet freedoms, highlights common and pressing challenges found in the region, and outlines recommendations for MPs on how they can utilize their role to promote and strengthen these freedoms.
Read more via APHR or download the full report here.
