An internet shutdown occurs when someone (usually the government) intentionally disrupts the internet or mobile apps to control what people say or do. When it comes to curbing dissent and freedom of expression, some governments take the drastic step of shutting down the internet. Across the world, internet shutdowns and deliberate slowdowns are becoming more
The UNESCO has warned that the number of internet shutdowns is on the increase worldwide. According to data provided by digital rights platform accessnow.org, internet access has been curbed 116 times in 30 countries since January 2016. India is far in the lead with 54 shutdowns, followed by neighboring Pakistan that had 10 digital blackouts. By definition, an
L'Afrique dans son ensemble est confrontée à une crise critique en matière de droits numériques. Les interruptions d'internet sont en hausse, la violation de la vie privée devient courante et les accusations arbitraires ainsi que les poursuites contre les journalistes, les blogueurs et les citoyens ordinaires sur les opinions critiques exprimées sur internet sont endémiques.
The Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) ordered internet capacity slowed down to make it hard to transmit images on social media. In a signed letter, first reported by Reuters and then circulated by civil society on Twitter, Oscar Manikunda Musata, the post and telecommunications chief regulator, instructs the General Director of Orange DRC to take preventative measures to
In an unprecedented policy suggestion, some members of the AFRINIC community have proposed denying internet to African governments that shut it down in their respective countries. AFRINIC stands for African Network Information Centre, and it is one of the world's five regional internet registries, with responsibility for Africa. The proposed AFRINIC policy, dubbed the anti-shutdown
