An internet shutdown can be defined as an “intentional disruption of internet or electronic communications, rendering them inaccessible or effectively unusable, for a specific population or within a location, often to exert control over the flow of information.” They include blocks of social media platforms, and are also referred to as “blackouts,” or “kill switches”.
In ordering shutdowns, government authorities employ a range of tactics to support specific goals in a particular context like bandwidth throttling to slow internet access, or it may block specific apps and services, such as social media or messaging services. In 2018, only 77 out of 200 incidents of shutdowns were acknowledged by the government or entities that ordered the shutdowns. Also, many governments shut down the internet as a response to violence related to the spread of misinformation and disinformation. Governments continue using shutdowns in response to critical events like Elections, protests and to prevent cheating during examinations in school among many.
Countries like ours, which have laws that facilitate and legalize shutdowns, tend to order more shutdowns. India’s current regulations, allow temporary internet shutdowns for “public emergency” or “public safety.”
Most recently, with internet blackouts lasting for 4,196 hours in 2019, India has lost over $1.3 billion in economic terms. Since 2011, these disruptions cost the Indian economy approximately $3.04 billion in total. This includes approximately $2.37 billion from mobile internet loss and $678.4 from fixed- line internet shutdown. Besides the business aspect, these blackouts are a clear violation of Human Rights, considering this; the United Nations Human Rights Council passed a resolution on 1st July 2016, condemning network disruptions and measures reported by states to curb online access and/or dissemination of information. This resolution affirmed that rights in the online sphere, especially the right to freedom of expression require the same standard of protection as in the offline world. In response to the more frequent shutdowns in recent times, the #KeepItOn campaign unites and organizes the global effort to end internet shutdowns. The coalition is growing rapidly, and so far 191 organizations from 68 countries around the world, ranging from research centers to rights and advocacy groups, detection networks, foundations, and media organizations have joined the movement.
-Shrey
Beyond Assumptions 