Using three criteria to measure freedom - obstacles to internet access, limits on content and violations of user rights - the survey put Estonia at the top of the list, noting the country's highly-developed online culture and the fact that content restrictions are among the lightest in the world.



The US, Germany, Australia and the UK followed Estonia at the "free" end of the scale, while China, Cuba, Burma and Iran bottomed out the list as "not free."



Overall the report found "diverse and growing threats to internet freedom" throughout the world including cyber attacks, politically motivated censorship, and government control over internet infrastructure.



It listed Thailand, Russia, Venezuela, Zimbabwe and Jordan as being at particular risk of suffering setbacks.

Steve Roman