The Enabling Digital Environment for Civil Society: Global Trends in Repression and Resistance

A Global Analysis by the EU SEE Initiative

The weaponisation of digital regulation has emerged as a defining challenge to civil society’s ability to operate freely online. Across regions, new and amended cybersecurity and cybercrime laws are being used to criminalise legitimate expression, expand surveillance, and suppress dissent. While governments justify these measures as necessary for security and stability, they often lack proportionality, transparency, and human rights safeguards — undermining the very foundations of democratic participation.

In this policy brief, we:
• Examine the trend: Present evidence from 86 countries showing how digital regulation is increasingly used to restrict civic space.
• Map the consequences: Analyse how securitised digital governance affects freedom of expression, privacy, and association, particularly for vulnerable groups.
• Propose solutions: Recommend actions for governments, civil society, donors, and technology companies to promote an enabling, rights-based digital environment and safeguard civic participation worldwide.