Category: Shutdown
- Mongolia Joins Growing Number of Countries Reducing Openness and Resilience of the Internet ()
The Mongolian parliament is reviewing a controversial law that gives the minister of internal affairs the power to shut down access to the Internet. The law, which was hastily passed by the parliament in January and then quickly vetoed by the president, would remove the ability of 3.3 million people to communicate, learn, and earn […]
- Nigeria Regulator and Advisors Collaborate to Strengthen Internet ()
The Internet Society Nigeria Chapter has been collaborating and informing the national regulator on threats against the Internet, including nullify rumors of Internet shutdown during the recent Nigerian elections.
- Italy’s Internet Outage a Perfect Storm ()
Italy’s recent Internet outage was a failure that was years in the making and could have been negated through greater interconnectivity.
- Counting the Cost of Internet Outages in Lebanon ()
Internet service interruptions in Lebanon are increasing in frequency and becoming the norm. Access via landlines and mobile data is affected across all regions in the country. The argument used to justify these outages is power cuts at local transmission stations. At the Internet Society Lebanon Chapter, we estimate that the direct and indirect costs […]
- Multiple Internet Disruptions Observed in Iran ()
Over the past couple of weeks we have observed multiple incidents of artificial Internet limitations in Iran. These incidents are reported to be connected to local unrest. We collect data and analysis on Internet shutdown events occurring around the world, and look at the economic and human impact of these actions. Timeline Regional shutdowns On […]
- New Report on the Impact of Internet Shutdowns to Prevent Cheating on Exams Launched ()
A new report, Internet Shutdowns to Prevent Cheating During Exams: The Impact on Society and Economy in the MENA Region, has been launched today by SMEX, a Lebanese NGO that works to advance self-regulating information societies in the MENA region. The report comes after another summer of Internet shutdowns throughout the region, which saw Internet […]
- Iran’s Internet Shutdowns are Facilitated by Careful Attempts at Fragmentation of the Network ()
Iran has a notable history of maintaining a tight grip over the Internet within the country. Since 2009, there has been an increasing number of Internet shutdowns in Iran, ranging from local and regional events to a near total national blackout in November 2019. During this event, the Iranian government shut down the Internet for […]
- The U.N Calls on States to Stop Shutting Down the Internet ()
The devastating real-life effects of Internet shutdowns on the lives and rights of millions of people are vastly under-appreciated and deserve much greater attention, says a new report on Internet shutdowns, published by The Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (UN-OHCHR). Internet shutdowns create significant obstacles that damage economies, democratic processes, […]
- Why School Exams are Disrupting Everyone’s Internet Access ()
Internet access is an essential part of life for many people around the globe – but not during the school exam period in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region. This is the message that is conveyed by the ongoing disruption of Internet access for millions of people, in part or in full, to stop students cheating on public exams in several countries, including Syria, Sudan, Jordan, and Algeria. Often used as […]
- Sudan: Exam Season 2022 Internet Shutdowns ()
General entrance exams in Sudan took place from 11-22 June, 2022, and alongside them came Internet shutdowns implemented as a measure to combat cheating. As has occurred over the last few years, Internet access was disrupted for everyone, rendering Sudan out of reach from the world for a few hours on each day with scheduled […]
- Syria: Exam Season 2022 Internet Shutdowns ()
General entrance exams in Syria took place from 30 May – 21 June, 2022, and alongside them came Internet shutdowns implemented as a measure to combat cheating. As is the case since 2016, Internet access was disrupted for everyone, rendering Syria out of reach from the world for a few hours on each day with […]
- Offline: When Exams Disrupt Everyone’s Internet ()
Every year, throughout the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region, millions of people are cut off from the Internet for lengthy periods while students take their school exams.In many countries in the region, national school exams are a major annual event. They can have a huge impact on people’s futures and the results usually […]
- Internet Shutdowns to Prevent Cheating During Exams is a Disproportionate Measure ()
High Court in India Challenges Internet Shutdown Order in West Bengal By Tanmay Singh, Internet Freedom Foundation and Anandita Mishra, Internet Freedom Foundation On 8 March, 2022, a resident of Calcutta in India challenged an Internet suspension order, which was issued by the State Government of West Bengal on 3 March, 2022. The order, ostensibly […]
- Internet Perspectives: Ukraine and Russia ()
As events unfold in Ukraine and the world is focused on following what is happening, it’s important to remember that critical Internet infrastructure plays a key role in keeping people connected, providing access to all kinds of crucial information and support and helping people stay in contact with loved ones across borders. At the Internet […]
- Internet Access Should Not be Disrupted to Serve Political Goals: Shutdowns in Jammu & Kashmir, India ()
In the past few years, India has imposed the lion’s share of Internet shutdowns across the world. The country witnessed a marked increase in the number of shutdowns since 2016 – ordering 121 of 213 documented shutdowns in 2019, and 109 of 155 documented shutdowns in 2020. An Internet shutdown, an intentional disruption of access […]
- India Shuts Down the Internet in West Bengal to Prevent Cheating During School Exams ()
Note: After this blog post was published, the High Court of Calcutta dismissed the order to shutdown the Internet in West Bengal. Read more about how quick legal action meant that hundreds of thousands of citizens in West Bengal were able to stay online in this blog post. Over the last few years, a worrying […]
- How You Can Contribute to Internet Measurements: Run the OONI Probe ()
The Open Observatory of Network Interference (OONI) is a global community measuring Internet censorship around the world. In this short video, Maria Xynou, OONI’s Research & Partnerships Director, explains how you can take part by running the OONI Probe app to detect internet censorship where you are. She also explains how you can use the […]
- Internet Measurements, Collaboration and Transparency ()
With Internet shutdowns, disruptions and censorship events on the increase around the world, tracking where such events are happening and gathering evidence to help in the fight against them is becoming more and more important. Tracking these events is crucial because of the impact they have on society and the economy. When social media apps […]
- Internet Society India – Hyderabad Chapter: Internet Measurements, Global Policy and Online Privacy Workshop ()
“If you cannot measure it, you cannot improve it” – Lord Kelvin On November 11, 2021. The Internet Society India – Hyderabad Chapter organized a one-day workshop on Internet Measurements, Global Policy and Online Privacy. Held in virtual mode, the workshop was moderated by Internet Society Pulse Internet Resilience expert, Amreesh Phokeer, and was attended […]
- Understanding India’s Internet Shutdowns ()
India is widely considered to be the world’s largest democracy, yet it also holds the dubious distinction of having the highest number of Internet shutdowns worldwide. In 2020 alone, 109 shutdowns occurred in the country. By contrast, the nation with the second highest number of shutdowns (Yemen), had only six. The Indian government typically justifies these […]
- Ethiopian Resources for Open Access and Digital Safety ()
Responding directly to a request for easy to share information about circumvention tools during a shutdown, Localization Lab has created short animations in 4 local languages and a video overviewing how to download and use a VPN when one is no longer able to use messaging applications or access content online. Localization Lab has also […]
- Another Internet Blackout In Syria During Exams ()
This blog post was originally authored by Ali Sibai and posted on the SMEX website. It is reposted here with permission. In recent years, internet outages in Syria have become a familiar, dystopian tradition during the Official High School Exams. The Syrian government has unplugged the internet during exams every year since 2016, plunging the country […]
- Keeping the Internet on during Benin’s Presidential Elections ()
This article was originally published on the Internet Society’s blog. With protests intensifying and social media interruptions reported in the weeks leading up to Benin’s presidential elections on 11 April 2021, many Internet and civil rights organizations were growing nervous about the potential for another Internet shutdown. Internet access was cut for almost 24 hours […]
- Tracking Internet Shutdowns ()
Internet shutdowns harm societies, economies and the global Internet infrastructure – that’s why we’re tracking disruptions on the Internet Society Pulse platform. There are thousands of disruptions to Internet access every day all over the world, but not all of them are the result of deliberate shutdowns. Lengthy outages are usually the result of technical errors, […]
- Opposing Shutdowns Proactively ()
Several governments around the world turn to limiting or shutting down access to the Internet as an easy solution to quell potential local problems. In the past few years, we’ve noticed that Internet shutdowns occur around periods of local unrest, elections, or national school/university exams. We have also noticed that shutdowns rarely serve their purpose […]
- Why Benin’s Internet Should Not be Disrupted During the Presidential Election ()
Note: This blog post originally appeared on the Internet Society Benin Chapter’s website here, in French. It has been translated and re-posted here with the permission of the Benin Chapter. Internet shutdowns are rife today. The reasons often mentioned are the following: to prevent the spread of social unrest, to fight against the dissemination of […]
- Internet Shutdowns: How to Undermine Trust in the Network of Networks ()
This article was first published on the Internet Society blog. The Indian government’s recent Internet shutdown during farmer protests impacted over 50 million residents. It is a stark warning of the danger of tampering with the foundations that make the Internet work for everyone. Internet shutdowns are a dangerous tactic increasingly used by the state to quell situations […]
- Myanmar Military Blocks Facebook as Global Internet Disruptions Intensify ()
This article was first published in Coindesk on 4 February 2021 by Sandali Handagama. (c) Sandali Handagama / Coindesk. Internet disruptions are costly, but that doesn’t stop governments from shutting down access. The new military government in Myanmar has reportedly ordered telecommunications companies to temporarily block access to Facebook citing the platform is a threat to the […]
- The Cost of Internet Shutdowns: Uganda, January 2021 ()
On 13 January, ahead of the Ugandan 2021 General Elections, our data sources began showing evidence of Internet disruption in Uganda signaling that a wide scale outage was underway. Over 17.5 million Internet subscribers in the country and countless business, services and educational institutions were affected. Prior to the shutdown, Reuters, NYTimes, and AccessNow had […]
- The Economic Impact of Internet Shutdowns ()
One of the indicators we provide as part of our Insights platform is the economic cost of shutdowns. In our data, we rely on a tool developed with Netblocks.org, the Cost of Shutdown Tool (COST). The COST builds upon indicators from the World Bank, ITU, Eurostat and U.S. Census to estimate the economic impact of […]
- Impact of Internet Shutdowns on Kashmiri Youth ()
The Kashmir Observer has documented the impact of long-lived Internet shutdowns on the young people in Kashmir. As is clear from our map of the frequency of shutdown events, India is a repeat offender where Internet shutdowns are concerned. The political unrest in the Kashmir region has been used to justify the long-lived shutdown of […]