Introduction to the Country Profi les
221
4. Suspected fi ltering is indicated when connectivity abnormalities are present that
suggest the presence of fi ltering, although diagnostic work was unable to confi rm
conclusively that inaccessibility of Web sites was the result of deliberate tampering.
5. No evidence of fi ltering: ONI testing did not uncover any evidence of Web sites being
blocked.
The “ Results at a Glance ” table also includes a measure (low, medium, or high) of
the observed transparency and consistency of blocking patterns. The transparency
score given to each country is a qualitative measure based on the level at which the
country openly engages in fi ltering. In cases where fi ltering takes place without open
acknowledgment or where the practice of fi ltering is actively disguised to appear as
network errors, the transparency score is low. In assigning the transparency score, we
have also considered the presence of provisions to appeal or report instances of inappropriate blocking. Consistency measures the variation in fi ltering within a country
across different ISPs — in some cases the availability of specifi c Web pages differs signifi cantly depending on the ISP one uses to connect to the Internet.
An aggregate view of the level of development for each country is represented by
the results of the fi rst four indexes presented in the “ Key Indicators ” table: gross
domestic product per capita, life expectancy, literacy rates, and the human development index.
The fi rst three measures are drawn from the World Bank development indicators
data set. The GDP measure, which captures the ability to purchase a standard basket
of consumer goods, is expressed in constant 2005 international dollars. Life expectancy can be seen as a proxy for general health, and literacy an imperfect but reasonable indication of the quality of education. The human development index is
constructed by the United Nations Development Program to refl ect overall human
well-being.
Governance is widely recognized to be a key determinant of economic success and
human welfare. We therefore also include two measures of governance: rule of law
and voice and accountability. These indexes are defi ned and compiled by researchers
at the World Bank using an aggregation of the best available data. The authors of the
indexes defi ne them in the following way:
Rule of Law (RL) captures perceptions of the extent to which agents have confi dence in
and abide by the rules of society, in particular the quality of contract enforcement, property rights, the police, and the courts, as well as the likelihood of crime and violence.
Voice and Accountability (VA) captures perceptions of the extent to which a country ’ s
citizens are able to participate in selecting their government, as well as freedom of
expression, freedom of association, and a free media.
1
An aggregate view of the state of democracy is provided by the Economist Intelligence Unit ’ s democracy index. This index is based on fi ve categories: electoral process
221
4. Suspected fi ltering is indicated when connectivity abnormalities are present that
suggest the presence of fi ltering, although diagnostic work was unable to confi rm
conclusively that inaccessibility of Web sites was the result of deliberate tampering.
5. No evidence of fi ltering: ONI testing did not uncover any evidence of Web sites being
blocked.
The “ Results at a Glance ” table also includes a measure (low, medium, or high) of
the observed transparency and consistency of blocking patterns. The transparency
score given to each country is a qualitative measure based on the level at which the
country openly engages in fi ltering. In cases where fi ltering takes place without open
acknowledgment or where the practice of fi ltering is actively disguised to appear as
network errors, the transparency score is low. In assigning the transparency score, we
have also considered the presence of provisions to appeal or report instances of inappropriate blocking. Consistency measures the variation in fi ltering within a country
across different ISPs — in some cases the availability of specifi c Web pages differs signifi cantly depending on the ISP one uses to connect to the Internet.
An aggregate view of the level of development for each country is represented by
the results of the fi rst four indexes presented in the “ Key Indicators ” table: gross
domestic product per capita, life expectancy, literacy rates, and the human development index.
The fi rst three measures are drawn from the World Bank development indicators
data set. The GDP measure, which captures the ability to purchase a standard basket
of consumer goods, is expressed in constant 2005 international dollars. Life expectancy can be seen as a proxy for general health, and literacy an imperfect but reasonable indication of the quality of education. The human development index is
constructed by the United Nations Development Program to refl ect overall human
well-being.
Governance is widely recognized to be a key determinant of economic success and
human welfare. We therefore also include two measures of governance: rule of law
and voice and accountability. These indexes are defi ned and compiled by researchers
at the World Bank using an aggregation of the best available data. The authors of the
indexes defi ne them in the following way:
Rule of Law (RL) captures perceptions of the extent to which agents have confi dence in
and abide by the rules of society, in particular the quality of contract enforcement, property rights, the police, and the courts, as well as the likelihood of crime and violence.
Voice and Accountability (VA) captures perceptions of the extent to which a country ’ s
citizens are able to participate in selecting their government, as well as freedom of
expression, freedom of association, and a free media.
1
An aggregate view of the state of democracy is provided by the Economist Intelligence Unit ’ s democracy index. This index is based on fi ve categories: electoral process