The Web Index has now come to the end of a successful three-year pilot period. During this time, the Index blazed new trails in many areas, providing the first rigorous and comprehensive assessment of national developments in areas such as women’s rights online, surveillance, net neutrality, broadband affordability, open data and the use of the Internet to broaden access to education, jobs and health care. It has become a trusted port of call for policymakers, civil society organisations, businesses, media and individuals wanting to understand the state and impact of the Web today in their country and around the world.
Now that this three year pilot phase is over, we will be refining the Index for future editions, possibly focusing on a narrower set of issues or geographies. We continue to seek partners and funding for future editions. Expect further updates in 2016 – and please get in touch if you would be interested in collaborating! Our popular spin-off products – the Affordability Report and the Open Data Barometer – will continue to be produced, and the results of both of these are expected in the first quarter of 2016, along with a deeper dive into our worrying 2014 findings on the spread of unaccountable mass surveillance.
We’d like to thank the primary funders of this pilot phase – the UK Department for International Development and Google. We’re also grateful for the additional support received from Naver Corporation and the Swedish International Development Agency.
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