Understanding the Differences in Internet Governance of Kyrgyzstan and Russia: A Comparative Study

Abstract

In the age of globalization, the Internet is practically turning into the main tool for exercising the human right to freedom of speech. In last 12 years the internet freedom is declining. Digital authoritarianism is gaining strength, the non-democratic regimes threaten the privacy of users, violate the human rights, restrict the online/digital space on domestic level (Freedom on The Net 2022, 1). Nonetheless, researches on digital authoritarianism remains limited in case study selection and scope. This Master Thesis contributes to the research field of Internet Governance by providing more comprehensive analytical framework and applies it to the case studies of Kyrgyzstan and Russia. The Kyrgyzstani Internet Governance is still understudied and this research pay special attention to the e-governance model of this state. Because broad issues can be of great social importance (fundamental human rights), it is critical that investigations of Internet governance focus on the relationship between technical infrastructure and Internet architecture, as well as the impact of the Internet on broad policy questions. After a deep literature review and data analysis, this paper identifies the most notable differences between the two models. These differences might be explained by the theory on the variation of authoritarianism argues that different political systems meet constant and diverse constraints to governance of the digital space. This is an attempt to identify different Internet governance models among the similar non- democratic regimes. This Master Thesis highlight the relevance of knowing how information technologies play a role in the political reactions and counter- insurgency methods of non-democratic regimes via a grounded comparison of case studies. Such a comparative analysis will aid in clarifying the nature of modern state power in both advanced and developing country media systems.