This paper deals with the online civic space and cyber laws in East and Southeast Asia. In countries where an atmosphere of repression is already prevalent, authoritarian governments further suppress freedoms by complementing cyber laws with existing repressive legislation that hinder freedom of expression offline.
Citing the proliferation of fake news and national security concerns has proven to be a fashionable way to expand restrictions on freedom of expression in the cyberspace. This belies a grave misunderstanding of current threats found in the Internet that leads to the enforcement of ineffective legislation and disproportionate sanctions. As a result, cyber laws further propagate a culture of self-censorship, exacerbating the rising trend of digital authoritarianism in East and Southeast Asia.