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India’s Ranking in the Global Free Speech Survey
Context:
A new global survey by the Future of Free Speech, a U.S.-based think tank, ranked India 24th out of 33 countries on support for free speech. The report titled ‘Who in the world supports free speech?’ highlights that while abstract support for free speech remains strong, there is a declining commitment to protecting controversial speech worldwide. The survey was conducted in October 2024 and observed a general trend of decreasing support for free speech in democratic nations like the United States, Israel, and Japan.
Key Takeaways from the Report
- General Support: Majorities in all 33 countries favour free speech, ranging from 54% to 88%, with significant variations between countries and social groups.
- Highest & Lowest Support: Scandinavian countries, Hungary, and Venezuela show the highest support, while Muslim-majority nations and the Global South rank lowest.
- Mismatch in Reality vs. Demand: India, Hungary, and Venezuela exhibit high demand for free speech despite relatively low actual freedom.
- Trends Since 2021: Support has declined in Japan, Israel, and the U.S., while Indonesia, Malaysia, and Pakistan have improved but still rank low.
- AI & Free Speech: Strong scepticism exists against AI-generated offensive content, especially deepfakes of politicians. Support is high for restricting AI tools, in contrast to the regulation of social media.
- Limits on Free Speech: Support is lower for offensive speech targeting minorities, religion, or the national flag but has remained stable since 2021. Approval of homosexual relationships has increased in several nations, while willingness to trade free speech for national security has decreased in some.
- Demographic Differences: Women show lower tolerance for offensive speech but higher acceptance of pro-LGBTQ+ statements. Older people tolerate government criticism but oppose insults to national symbols.
- U.S. Trends: Declining free speech support among men and younger generations, including lower tolerance for pro-LGBTQ+ statements and flag insults.
Key Findings in the Report vis – a – vis India
- India’s Position in the Index
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- India received a score of 62.6, ranking between South Africa (66.9) and Lebanon (61.8).
- Scandinavian countries dominated the top positions, with Norway (87.9) and Denmark (87.0) leading the index.
- Indonesia (56.8), Malaysia (55.4), and Pakistan (57.0) showed the biggest improvements despite being at the lower end of the ranking.
- Surprisingly, some authoritarian-leaning nations such as Hungary (85.5) and Venezuela (81.8) scored high, indicating a disconnect between government restrictions and public attitudes.
- Public Sentiment in India
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- A majority of Indians value the ability to speak freely without government censorship.
- However, support for criticism of government policies is below the global average.
- 37% of Indian respondents supported government control over criticism of policies, the highest percentage among all surveyed nations.
- In contrast, only 5% in the U.K. and 3% in Denmark supported such restrictions.
- India’s Shift in the Global Expression Categories
- In 2023, the percentage of people living in countries facing a freedom of expression crisis rose to 53% globally.
- India shifted into the ‘Crisis’ category between 2022 and 2023, contributing to the global increase in repression.
- The classification system:
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- Crisis: 0-19
- Highly Restricted: 20-39
- Restricted: 40-59
- Less Restricted: 60-79
- Open: 80-100
- India moved from Highly Restricted to Crisis.
Key Takeaways from the Report Globally
- Disconnect Between Public Opinion and Government Policies
- Nations that show strong public support for free speech tend to have greater freedom of expression.
- India, Hungary, and Venezuela deviate from this trend, where public support is high but actual protection remains low.
- The report links this trend to democratic backsliding, where countries with previous high political liberties are witnessing increased restrictions on expression.
- Perceptions vs. Global Rankings
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- When asked about changes in free speech over the past year:
- Indians and South Africans felt that the situation had improved.
- However, independent rankings suggest that India’s free speech environment has worsened.
- Observers and data trends indicate a decline in freedom of expression in India.
- When asked about changes in free speech over the past year:
- Global Trends in Freedom of Expression
- Over the past year (2023-24):
- 5 countries improved their freedom of expression ranking (Brazil, Fiji, Niger, Sri Lanka, Thailand).
- 9 countries regressed, including India, Burkina Faso, Ethiopia, Senegal, and Mongolia.
- Over the last decade (2013-2023):
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- 6.2 billion people across 78 countries saw a decline in free speech.
- The largest declines were in Hong Kong (-54 points), Afghanistan (-48 points), and El Salvador (-46 points).
- The Gambia saw the largest improvement (+63 points).
Key Takeaways for India
- Rising government control over critical speech contradicts the traditionally strong support for free expression.
- India’s movement into the Crisis category raises concerns about democratic backsliding.
- The gap between public opinion and government policies indicates an increasing restriction on dissent and press freedom.
- Comparative analysis with global trends shows that nations improving in free speech tend to adopt policies that promote open criticism and independent media.
