Press freedom predator

Press freedom predator is an anti-award distributed every few years by Reporters Without Borders.[1] It is attributed to heads of state or groups who are deemed to have a negative effect on press freedom.[2]

Recipients often vehemently deny that they deserve their place on the list.[3] In 2020, Reporters Without Borders also released a list of 20 press freedom's digital predators.[4]

2021

In July 2021, the list of press freedom predators published by Reporters Without Borders includes:[5][6]

Image Name Country Role
Abdel Fattah el-Sisi  Egypt President of Egypt (2014–present)
Alexander Lukashenko  Belarus President of Belarus (1994–present)
Ali Khamenei  Iran Supreme Leader of Iran (1989–present)
Bashar al-Assad  Syria President of Syria (2000–present)
Carrie Lam  Hong Kong
( China)
Chief Executive of Hong Kong (2017-2022)
Daniel Ortega  Nicaragua President of Nicaragua (1979-1990 and 2007–present)
Emomali Rahmon  Tajikistan President of Tajikistan (1994–present)
Gotabaya Rajapaksa  Sri Lanka President of Sri Lanka (2019–2022)
Minister of Defence (2020–2022)
Minister of Technology (2020–2022)
Gurbanguly Berdimuhammedov  Turkmenistan President of Turkmenistan (2007-2022)
Chairman of the People's Council of Turkmenistan (2021–present)
Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa  Bahrain King of Bahrain (2002–present)
Hun Sen  Cambodia Prime Minister of Cambodia (1998–present)
Ilham Aliyev  Azerbaijan President of Azerbaijan (2003–present)
Imran Khan  Pakistan Prime Minister of Pakistan (2018-2022)
Isaias Afwerki  Eritrea President of Eritrea (1993–present)
Ismaïl Omar Guelleh  Djibouti President of Djibouti (1999–present)
Jair Bolsonaro  Brazil President of Brazil (2019–2023)
Kim Jong-un  North Korea Supreme Leader of North Korea (2011–present)
General Secretary of the Workers' Party of Korea (2012–present)
Lee Hsien Loong  Singapore Prime Minister of Singapore (2004–present)
Miguel Díaz-Canel  Cuba First Secretary of the Communist Party of Cuba (2021–present)
President of Cuba (2019–present)
Min Aung Hlaing  Myanmar Chairman of the State Administration Council (2021–present)
Prime Minister of Myanmar (2021–present)
Commander-in-Chief of Defence Services (2011–present)
Mohammed bin Salman  Saudi Arabia Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia (2017–present)
Minister of Defense (2015–present)
Narendra Modi  India Prime Minister of India (2014–present)
Nguyễn Phú Trọng  Vietnam General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam (2011–present)
President of Vietnam (2018-2021)
Nicolás Maduro  Venezuela President of Venezuela (2013–present)
Paul Biya  Cameroon President of Cameroon (1982–present)
Paul Kagame  Rwanda President of Rwanda (2000–present)
Prayut Chan-o-cha  Thailand Prime Minister of Thailand (2014–2023)
Minister of Defence (2019–2023)
Ramzan Kadyrov  Chechnya
( Russia)
Head of the Chechen Republic (2007–present)
Recep Tayyip Erdoğan  Turkey President of Turkey (2014–present)
Prime Minister of Turkey (2003-2014)
Rodrigo Duterte  Philippines President of the Philippines (2016-2020)
Salva Kiir Mayardit  South Sudan President of South Sudan (2011–present)
Sheikh Hasina  Bangladesh Prime Minister of Bangladesh (1996-2001 and 2009–present)
Leader of the House (2009–present)
Teodoro Obiang Nguema Mbasogo  Equatorial Guinea President of Equatorial Guinea (1979–present)
Viktor Orbán  Hungary Prime Minister of Hungary (1998-2002 and 2010–present)
Vladimir Putin  Russia President of Russia (2000-2008 and 2012–present)
Prime Minister of Russia (2008-2012)
Xi Jinping  China General Secretary of the Chinese Communist Party (2012–present)
President of the People's Republic of China (2013–present)
Yoweri Museveni  Uganda President of Uganda (1986–present)

2016

In October 2016, the list of press freedom predators published by Reporters Without Borders includes:[7]

Image Name Country Role
Abdel Fattah el-Sisi  Egypt President of Egypt (2014–present)
Al-Shabaab  Somalia Islamic insurgence group active in East Africa
Alexander Lukashenko  Belarus President of Belarus (1994–present)
Ali Khamenei  Iran Supreme Leader of Iran (1989–present)
Ansar Allah  Yemen An Islamist political and armed movement in Yemen
Ansarullah Bangla Team  Bangladesh An Islamic Jihadi organization in Bangladesh
Bashar al-Assad  Syria President of Syria (2000–present)
Gurbanguly Berdimuhammedov  Turkmenistan President of Turkmenistan (2007-2022)
Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa  Bahrain King of Bahrain (2002–present)
Ilham Aliyev  Azerbaijan President of Azerbaijan (2003–present)
Isaias Afwerki  Eritrea President of Eritrea (1993–present)
Islamic State  Iraq
 Syria
 Afghanistan
 Libya
Militant Islamist group and former unrecognized quasi-state
Joseph Kabila  Democratic Republic of the Congo President of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (2001-2019)
Kim Jong-un  North Korea Supreme Leader of North Korea (2011–present)
General Secretary of the Workers' Party of Korea (2012–present)
Lee Hsien Loong  Singapore Prime Minister of Singapore (2004–present)
Los Zetas  Mexico Mexican criminal syndicate
Nguyễn Phú Trọng  Vietnam General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam (2011–present)
President of Vietnam (2018-2021)
Nicolás Maduro  Venezuela President of Venezuela (2013–present)
Nursultan Nazarbayev  Kazakhstan President of Kazakhstan (1991-2019)
Omar al-Bashir  Sudan President of Sudan (1993-2019)
Inter-Services Intelligence  Pakistan Pakistan's intelligence agency
Paul Kagame  Rwanda President of Rwanda (2000–present)
Pierre Nkurunziza  Burundi President of Burundi (2005-2020)
Prayut Chan-o-cha  Thailand Prime Minister of Thailand (2014–2023)
Minister of Defence (2019–2023)
Ramzan Kadyrov  Chechnya
( Russia)
Head of the Chechen Republic (2007–present)
Raúl Castro  Cuba First Secretary of the Communist Party of Cuba (2011-2021)
President of the Council of State (2008-2018)
Recep Tayyip Erdoğan  Turkey President of Turkey (2014–present)
Prime Minister of Turkey (2003-2014)
Robert Mugabe  Zimbabwe President of Zimbabwe (1987-2017)
Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud  Saudi Arabia King of Saudi Arabia (2015–present)
Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia (2012-2015)
Minister of Defence (2011-2015)
Salva Kiir Mayardit  South Sudan President of South Sudan (2011–present)
Taliban  Afghanistan Islamic fundamentalist, militant Islamist, and jihadist political movement in Afghanistan
Teodoro Obiang Nguema Mbasogo  Equatorial Guinea President of Equatorial Guinea (1979–present)
Vladimir Putin  Russia President of Russia (2000-2008 and 2012–present)
Prime Minister of Russia (2008-2012)
Xi Jinping  China General Secretary of the Chinese Communist Party (2012–present)
President of the People's Republic of China (2013–present)
Yahya Jammeh  The Gambia President of the Gambia (1996-2017)

2013

In May 2013, the list of press freedom predators published by Reporters Without Borders includes:[8]

Africa

Image Name Country Role
Al-Shabaab  Somalia Islamic insurgence group active in East Africa
Boko Haram  Nigeria An Islamic terrorist organization based in northeastern Nigeria
Hizbul Islam  Somalia Somali Islamist group
Isaias Afwerki  Eritrea President of Eritrea (1993–present)
Mswati III  Eswatini King of Eswatini (1986–present)
Paul Kagame  Rwanda President of Rwanda (2000–present)
Robert Mugabe  Zimbabwe President of Zimbabwe (1987-2017)
Teodoro Obiang Nguema Mbasogo  Equatorial Guinea President of Equatorial Guinea (1979–present)
Yahya Jammeh  The Gambia President of the Gambia (1996-2017)

Americas

Image Name Country Role
Dario Antonio Úsuga  Colombia Leader of the drug trafficking group Clan del Golfo
Los Zetas  Mexico Mexican criminal syndicate
Miguel Facussé Barjum  Honduras Honduran businessman and landowner
Miguel Treviño Morales  Mexico Mexican drug lord
Raúl Castro  Cuba First Secretary of the Communist Party of Cuba (2011-2021)
President of the Council of State (2008-2018)

Asia

Image Name Country Role
Abdullah bin Abdulaziz Al Saud  Saudi Arabia King of Saudi Arabia (2005-2015)
Prime Minister of Saudi Arabia (2005-2015)
Abu Mohammad al-Julani  Syria Commander-in-chief of Tahrir al-Sham (2017–present)
Emir of the Al-Nusra Front (2012-2017)
Ali Khamenei  Iran Supreme Leader of Iran (1989–present)
Balochistan Liberation Army  Pakistan A militant group waging a violent armed struggle against Pakistan for what it claims as self-determination for the Baloch people and separation of Balochistan from Pakistan.
Bashar al-Assad  Syria President of Syria (2000–present)
Choummaly Sayasone  Laos General Secretary of the Lao People's Revolutionary Party (2006-2016)
President of Laos (2006-2016)
Gotabaya Rajapaksa  Sri Lanka President of Sri Lanka (2019–2022)
Minister of Defence (2020–2022)
Minister of Technology (2020–2022)
Gurbanguly Berdimuhammedov  Turkmenistan President of Turkmenistan (2007-2022)
Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa  Bahrain King of Bahrain (2002–present)
Ilham Aliyev  Azerbaijan President of Azerbaijan (2003–present)
Inter-Services Intelligence  Pakistan Pakistan's intelligence agency
Islam Karimov  Uzbekistan President of Uzbekistan (1991-2016)
Israel Defence Forces  Israel Military forces of the State of Israel
Kim Jong-un  North Korea Supreme Leader of North Korea (2011–present)
General Secretary of the Workers' Party of Korea (2012–present)
Leaders and members of extremist religious groups  Maldives
Mahinda Rajapaksa  Sri Lanka President of Sri Lanka (2005-2015)
Prime Minister of Sri Lanka (2019-2022)
Mahmoud Ahmadinejad  Iran President of Iran (2005-2013)
Mullah Omar  Afghanistan Founder and leader of Taliban
Leader of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan (1996-2001)
Muslim Brotherhood  Egypt A transnational Sunni Islamist organization
Nguyễn Phú Trọng  Vietnam General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam (2011–present)
President of Vietnam (2018-2021)
Nursultan Nazarbayev  Kazakhstan President of Kazakhstan (1991-2019)
Private militias  Philippines
Vasif Talibov  Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic
(Azerbaijan)
Chairman of the Supreme Assembly of the Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic (1993–present)
Xi Jinping  China General Secretary of the Chinese Communist Party (2012–present)
President of the People's Republic of China (2013–present)

Europe

Image Name Country Role
Alexander Lukashenko  Belarus President of Belarus (1994–present)
Camorra  Italy Italian Mafia-type criminal organization and criminal society originating in the region of Campania, and is one of the oldest and largest criminal organizations in Italy.
Ramzan Kadyrov  Chechnya
( Russia)
Head of the Chechen Republic (2007–present)
Vladimir Putin  Russia President of Russia (2000-2008 and 2012–present)
Prime Minister of Russia (2008-2012)

2009-2011

The list of press freedom predators published by Reporters Without Borders from 2009 to 2011 includes:[9][10][11]

Image Name Country Role
Abdullah bin Abdulaziz Al Saud  Saudi Arabia King of Saudi Arabia (2005-2015)
Prime Minister of Saudi Arabia (2005-2015)
Abdulkadir Hussein Mohamed  Somalia Minister of Information, Posts and Telecommunications of Somalia
Alexander Lukashenko  Belarus President of Belarus (1994–present)
Al-Shabaab  Somalia Islamic insurgence group active in East Africa
Ali Abdullah Saleh  Yemen President of Yemen (1990-2012)
Ali Khamenei  Iran Supreme Leader of Iran (1989–present)
Bashar al-Assad  Syria President of Syria (2000–present)
Black Eagles  Colombia Colombian paramilitary forces
Choummaly Sayasone  Laos General Secretary of the Lao People's Revolutionary Party (2006-2016)
President of Laos (2006-2016)
Euskadi Ta Askatasuna  Spain An armed Basque nationalist and separatist terrorist organization
Gotabaya Rajapaksa  Sri Lanka President of Sri Lanka (2019–2022)
Minister of Defence (2020–2022)
Minister of Technology (2020–2022)
Gulf Cartel  Mexico Mexican drug cartel
Gurbanguly Berdimuhammedov  Turkmenistan President of Turkmenistan (2007-2022)
Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa  Bahrain King of Bahrain (2002–present)
Hamas  Palestine A Palestinian Sunni-Islamic fundamentalist, militant and nationalist organization
Hizbul Islam  Somalia Somali Islamist group
Hu Jintao  China General Secretary of the Chinese Communist Party (2002-2012)
President of the People's Republic of China (2003-2013)
Ilham Aliyev  Azerbaijan President of Azerbaijan (2003–present)
Isaias Afwerki  Eritrea President of Eritrea (1993–present)
Islam Karimov  Uzbekistan President of Uzbekistan (1991-2016)
Israel Defence Forces  Israel Military forces of the State of Israel
Janatantrik Terai Mukti Morcha    Nepal A political organisation in Nepal
Juárez Cartel  Mexico Mexican drug cartel
Kim Jong-il  North Korea Supreme Leader of North Korea (1994-2011)
General Secretary of the Workers' Party of Korea (1997-2011)
Madhesh Mukti Tigers    Nepal An armed group in Nepal
Mahinda Rajapaksa  Sri Lanka President of Sri Lanka (2005-2015)
Prime Minister of Sri Lanka (2019-2022)
Mahmoud Ahmadinejad  Iran President of Iran (2005-2013)
Mswati III  Eswatini King of Eswatini (1986–present)
Mullah Omar  Afghanistan Founder and leader of Taliban
Leader of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan (1996-2001)
Muammar Gaddafi  Libya Brotherly Leader and Guide of the Revolution of Libya (1979-2011)
Chairperson of the African Union (2009-2010)
Nông Đức Mạnh  Vietnam General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam (2001-2011)
Nursultan Nazarbayev  Kazakhstan President of Kazakhstan (1991-2019)
Ogbonna Okechukwu Onovo  Nigeria Inspector General of the Nigerian Police (2009-2010)
Organized crime  Italy
Palestinian Security Services  Palestine Armed forces and intelligence agencies of the State of Palestine
Paul Kagame  Rwanda President of Rwanda (2000–present)
Private militias  Philippines
Ramzan Kadyrov  Chechnya
( Russia)
Head of the Chechen Republic (2007–present)
Raúl Castro  Cuba First Secretary of the Communist Party of Cuba (2011-2021)
President of the Council of State (2008-2018)
Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia  Colombia Colombian Marxist–Leninist guerrilla group
Robert Mugabe  Zimbabwe President of Zimbabwe (1987-2017)
Sinaloa Cartel  Mexico Mexican drug cartel
Tarek Kamel  Egypt Minister of Communications and Information Technology of Egypt (2004-2011)
Teodoro Obiang Nguema Mbasogo  Equatorial Guinea President of Equatorial Guinea (1979–present)
Than Shwe  Myanmar Chairman of the State Peace and Development Council (1992-2011)
Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Myanmar (1992-2011)
Prime Minister of Myanmar (1992-2003)
Tijuana Cartel  Mexico Mexican drug cartel
Velupillai Prabhakaran  Sri Lanka Leader of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam
Vladimir Putin  Russia President of Russia (2000-2008 and 2012–present)
Prime Minister of Russia (2008-2012)
Yahya Jammeh  The Gambia President of the Gambia (1996-2017)
Zine El Abidine Ben Ali  Tunisia President of Tunisia (1987-2011)

2001

In November 2001, the list of press freedom predators published by Reporters Without Borders includes:[12]

Image Name Country Role
Ali Khamenei  Iran Supreme Leader of Iran (1989–present)
Alexander Lukashenko  Belarus President of Belarus (1994–present)
Bashar al-Assad  Syria President of Syria (2000–present)
Carlos Castaño Gil  Colombia Colombian paramilitary leader and founder of the Peasant Self-Defenders of Córdoba and Urabá
Euskadi Ta Askatasuna  Spain An armed Basque nationalist and separatist terrorist organization
Fahd bin Abdulaziz Al Saud  Saudi Arabia King of Saudi Arabia (1982-2005)
Prime Minister of Saudi Arabia (1982-2005)
Fidel Castro  Cuba First Secretary of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Cuba (1965-2011)
President of the Council of State of Cuba (1976-2008)
President of the Council of Ministers of Cuba (1976-2008)
Prime Minister of Cuba (1959-1976)
Secretary-General of the Non-Aligned Movement (1979-1983 and 2006–2008)
François Compaoré  Burkina Faso Economic Advisor to the President of Burkina Faso (1989-2014)
Gnassingbé Eyadéma  Togo President of Togo (1967-2005)
Hüseyin Kıvrıkoğlu  Turkey Chief of the General Staff of Turkey (1998-2002)
Isaias Afwerki  Eritrea President of Eritrea (1993–present)
Islam Karimov  Uzbekistan President of Uzbekistan (1991-2016)
Jiang Zemin  China General Secretary of the Chinese Communist Party (1989-2002)
President of the People's Republic of China (1993-2003)
Joseph Kabila  Democratic Republic of the Congo President of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (2001-2019)
José Eduardo dos Santos  Angola President of Angola (1979-2017)
Joynal Hazari  Bangladesh Bangladeshi politician and member of Jatiya Sangsad, representing the Feni-2 constituency (1986-1987, 1991-1996 and 1996–2001)
Khamtai Siphandone  Laos General Secretary of the Lao People's Revolutionary Party (1992-2006)
President of Laos (1998-2006)
Kidnapping mafia  Chechnya
( Russia)
Kim Jong-il  North Korea Supreme Leader of North Korea (1994-2011)
General Secretary of the Workers' Party of Korea (1997-2011)
Kirsan Ilyumzhinov  Kalmykia
( Russia)
President of Kalmykia (1993-2010)
Leonid Kuchma  Ukraine President of Ukraine (1994-2005)
Mahatir Mohammad  Malaysia Prime Minister of Malaysia (1981-2003 and 2018–2020)
Manuel Marulanda  Colombia Leader of Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia
Meles Zenawi  Ethiopia Prime Minister of Ethiopia (1995-2012)
Mswati III  Eswatini King of Eswatini (1986–present)
Muammar Gaddafi  Libya Brotherly Leader and Guide of the Revolution of Libya (1979-2011)
Chairperson of the African Union (2009-2010)
Mullah Omar  Afghanistan Founder and leader of Taliban
Leader of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan (1996-2001)
Nicolás Rodríguez Bautista  Colombia Commander of National Liberation Army
Nông Đức Mạnh  Vietnam General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam (2001-2011)
Palestinian Security Services  Palestine Armed forces and intelligence agencies of the State of Palestine
Paul Kagame  Rwanda President of Rwanda (2000–present)
Robert Mugabe  Zimbabwe President of Zimbabwe (1987-2017)
Saddam Hussein  Iraq President of Iraq (1979-2003)
Saparmurat Niyazov  Turkmenistan President of Turkmenistan (1991-2006)
Shaul Mofaz  Israel Defense Minister of Israel (2002-2006)
Teodoro Obiang Nguema Mbasogo  Equatorial Guinea President of Equatorial Guinea (1979–present)
Than Shwe  Myanmar Chairman of the State Peace and Development Council (1992-2011)
Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Myanmar (1992-2011)
Prime Minister of Myanmar (1992-2003)
Vladimir Putin  Russia President of Russia (2000-2008 and 2012–present)
Prime Minister of Russia (2008-2012)
Zine El Abidine Ben Ali  Tunisia President of Tunisia (1987-2011)

Digital press freedom predators

In March 2020, as part of the World Day Against Cyber-Censorship, the Reporters Without Borders published a list of digital press freedom predators. The list includes:[13][14]

Harassment

Name Country Description
Electronic Flies  Algeria Army of internet trolls in the Algerian government’s payroll. Their main task is to discredit all journalists critical of the government by engaging in online abuse, posting personal information about them and public reporting of critical posts in online platforms in order to remove them.
Hate Office  Brazil Consisting of close presidential advisers of President of Brazil Jair Bolsonaro and coordinated by his son Carlos, the group publishes attacks against journalists on a large scale by engaging in social media campaigns of insults and threats. The existence of such group was revealed by Brazilian parliamentarian and former ally of Bolsonaro Joice Hasselmann.
Modi's Yoddhas  India Internet trolls who either volunteer their services or are paid employees of the ruling Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and are supporters of the current Prime Minister of India Narendra Modi. They engage in social media insults, calls for rape and death threats against critics of Modi. Yoddhas in Hindi language means 'warriors'.
The Kremlin's Troll Army  Russia An internet troll army which have an implicit backing of the Government of Russia and President of Russia Vladimir Putin. They spread false reports and videos, engage in doxing and defamation against critics of Putin, and also spread propaganda about those who denounce their activities.
Troll Gangs  Mexico An internet troll group who have engaged in social media smears, threats and insults against journalists who have questioned President of Mexico Andrés Manuel López Obrador’s decision to release drug lord El Chapo’s son Ovidio Guzmán López.

State censorship

Image Name Country Role
Cyberspace Administration of China  China The central internet regulator, censor, oversight, and control agency for the People's Republic of China. The agency engages in internet censorship and supervision of private-sector platforms such as Baidu, WeChat, Weibo and Douyin, and blocking and deleting content and apps. During the COVID-19 pandemic in China, the agency has suppressed social media accounts of media outlets and bloggers, and censored news outlets critical of the government's handling of the pandemic.
Ministry of Home Affairs  India The ministry of the Government of India, which is mainly responsible for the maintenance of internal security and domestic policy of the country. On 5 August 2019, it completely disconnected internet communication in the Indian state of Jammu and Kashmir, resulting in Kashmiri journalists unable to work freely and depriving all of the state's residents from accessing independently reported news and information. Despite broadband connections being partially restored after six months, access to many sites remains largely uncertain and India is the country that most uses Internet shutdowns, with a total of 121 in 2019.
National Commission of Telecommunications
(Conatel)
 Venezuela An agency of the Government of Venezuela that exercises the regulation, supervision and control over telecommunications. It orders the blocking of websites that are critical of the authorities of the government and many have been blocked without any possibility of appeal. The agency also temporarily blocks social media platforms such as Facebook, especially when opposition leader Juan Guaidó’s speeches are being broadcast live on Facebook.
Roskomnadzor
(Federal Service for Supervision of Communications, Information Technology and Mass Media)
 Russia The Russian federal executive agency responsible for monitoring, controlling and censoring Russian mass media. It has blocked more than 490,000 websites without warning and without respecting legal procedure, and maintains a secret blacklist of banned sites. The agency also blocks platforms and apps that refuse to store their data on servers in Russia or provide the Russian authorities the means to decrypt messages.
Supreme Council of Cyberspace  Iran The agency was created in 2012, and consists of senior military and political figures. They engage in online selective access and control, blocking news websites, social media platforms and messaging apps such as Telegram, Signal, WhatsApp, Facebook and Twitter. Internet shutdowns are increasingly used to contain and suppress waves of street protests in the country, and publishing independent information are regarded as “counter-revolutionary” or “subversive” in nature.
Supreme Council for Media Regulation
(SCMR)
 Egypt The agency was created in 2017 to "devise and implement the media strategy for the Egyptian state." It engages in the blocking of news sites and messaging apps under the grounds that they publish false information. More than 500 websites and 11 messaging apps are currently inaccessible in Egypt.

Disinformation

Name Country Description
Call Centre Hubs  Philippines Consisting of supporters of President of the Philippines Rodrigo Duterte, they disseminate fake memes, maliciously edited content and conduct targeted harassment campaigns with the aim of smearing the media and manipulating public opinion. They had launched a campaign to smear and boycott the ABS-CBN radio and TV network with the aim of blocking the renewal of its licence.
Cyber Jihadist Unit  Sudan The internet troll army that was created by the National Intelligence and Security Service, which spies on activists, politicians and journalists on social media. It also disseminates messages and articles with false information designed to discredit members of the current transitional government.
Force 47  Vietnam An internet army of 10,100 cyber soldiers run by the Ministry of Public Security. They are tasked with setting up, moderating and posting on pro-state Facebook groups. The group is also considered the largest and most sophisticated influence network in Southeast Asia.[15]
Saudi Electronic Brigade  Saudi Arabia Led by Saud al-Qahtani, the then advisor to Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, the network of pro-Saudi Twitter trolls and bots used to produce more than 2,500 tweets a day consisting of false information and hate messages against the critics of the Government of Saudi Arabia.

Spying Surveillance

Name Country Description
Gamma Group  Germany
 United Kingdom
An Anglo-German technology company that sells surveillance software to governments and police forces around the world. The FinFisher software, which was developed by the company, has been used by undemocratic regimes to spy on activists and journalists.
Memento Labs
(formerly known as Hacking Team)
 Italy
 Saudi Arabia
  Switzerland
The company created spyware capable of extracting files from a targeted device, intercepting emails and instant messages, and activating a device's webcam or microphone, which was then sold to law enforcement and intelligence agencies.
Mollitiam Industries  Spain A Spanish software company that developed tools for intercepting phone calls and emails. One of the customers of its product is the Colombian Armed Forces, which used it to illegally spy on supreme court judges, politicians, journalists and journalists’ sources.
NSO Group  Israel An Israeli technology firm primarily known for its proprietary spyware Pegasus, which uses a WhatsApp flaw to install on targeted smartphones and send them infected files that open automatically. The spyware has been used to target human rights activists and journalists in various countries.
Zerodium
(formerly known as Vupen)
 United States An American information security company based in Washington, D.C. and Europe, which pays bounties to hackers and security researchers to be exclusively informed about their discoveries, which is used to spy on journalists to foreign governments.

References

  1. "Pakistan rejects naming of PM Khan as press freedom 'predator'". www.aljazeera.com.
  2. "Press freedom: India, Pakistan PMs among 37 world leaders on 'predators' list - Times of India". The Times of India.
  3. "Baseless to include Duterte on 'press freedom predator' list". www.pna.gov.ph.
  4. "RSF unveils 20/2020 list of press freedom's digital predators". 12 March 2020. Retrieved 13 July 2021.
  5. "RSF's 2021 "Press freedom predators" gallery – old tyrants, two women and a European | Reporters without borders". RSF. 2 July 2021.
  6. "Predators 2021" (PDF). RSF. 2021.
  7. "Press Freedom Predators" (PDF). Reporters Without Borders. 2016. Retrieved 25 June 2022.
  8. "Predators" (PDF). RSF. 2013. Retrieved 25 June 2022.
  9. Juillard, Jef (4 May 2007). "Media predators". The Guardian. Retrieved 26 June 2022.
  10. Townend, Judith (4 May 2010). "Reporters Without Borders names 40 press freedom 'predators'". journalism.co.uk. Retrieved 26 June 2022.
  11. "Predators of Press Freedom" (PDF). kubatana.net. 2010. Retrieved 26 June 2022.
  12. "RSF publishes list of thirty-nine "press freedom predators"". ifex. 6 November 2001. Retrieved 26 June 2022.
  13. "RSF unveils 20/2020 list of press freedom's digital predators" (PDF). Reporters Without Borders. 2020. Retrieved 26 June 2022.
  14. Beaumont, Peter (12 March 2020). "List of world's worst 'digital predators' stretches from India and Brazil to US". The Guardian. Retrieved 26 June 2022.
  15. Pearson, James (9 July 2021). "How Vietnam's 'influencer' army wages information warfare on Facebook". Reuters. Retrieved 27 June 2022.
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