Online Content Regulations in the Asia-Pacific: Limiting Civil Society’s Capacity to Hold Governments Accountable reviews laws enacted by governments in the Asia-Pacific region to regulate the online information sphere. These laws have been used to penalise content creators for incitement, defamation, or spreading fake news. At the same time, government authorities routinely order internet service providers and technology companies to block or remove online content considered sensitive or illegal. Some governments also impose internet shutdowns, particularly during politically sensitive periods, to control the flow of information. Trolling has emerged as a mainstream non-legal strategy to harass and intimidate civil society actors. As a result, INGOs, CSOs, and independent media outlets have limited the scope of their communications and activities. They have also refrained from public visibility and practised self-censorship to shield themselves from legal prosecution or non-legal harassment, thus exercising self-inhibiting behaviours to safeguard themselves from government regulations and to remain operational in a given jurisdiction. Overall, the net impact of these laws is the diminished ability of civil society to hold governments publicly accountable. This is the changed landscape that the report notes. The report concludes with a set of policy recommendations for international organisations, governments, internet service providers and technology companies, and civil society actors. The goal is to safeguard civil society’s ability to hold government accountable in the era of digital advancements.