Opinion analysis by Johnny Achkar, Staff Writer

August 22nd, 2021

Have you ever wondered how some countries cope with vexing issues like democracy protests? For some, the solution is to do everything they can to prevent information from leaking onto the internet. For example, in 2019, 33 countries worldwide were involved in shutting down internet access for their population 213 times in some way. The shutdowns, of course, did not solve any problems... except for those in charge. Unlike the more complex tactics used by countries like China to filter and control digital communications, certain states' internet shutdowns are more literal, brute-force disconnections.

Repressive governments are increasingly using internet shutdowns and disruptions to suppress critics, stifle online civil resistance coordination, and prevent journalists and human rights advocates from documenting and communicating. The United Nations Human Rights Council has categorically condemned network disruptions as infringement of the rights to free expression and access to information under international human rights law. Furthermore, they prevent loved ones from communicating, have disastrous effects on local economies, impede the sharing of election-related information, and can obstruct the delivery of critical medical and humanitarian supplies.

According to NetBlocks, at least 35 countries have restricted access to the internet or social media platforms since 2019, with hundreds of documented cases across the globe. According to a recent study, 21 countries shut down or throttled internet and social media for a total of 27,165 hours in 2020, affecting 268 million people, a 49 percent increase over the previous year. Myanmar's authorities have been using similar tactics to control information and cover abuses since 2019. The Myanmar military engineered two nationwide internet shutdowns within a week after capturing power in the February 1st coup. In addition, the Myanmar Ministry of Transport and Communications (MOTC) issued directives on February 3rd compelling telecommunication carriers to ban access to Facebook in the midst of the rolling internet shutdowns.

The ban, which is still in effect, is concentrated on the Rakhine and Chin states in western Myanmar, where the minority Rohingya Muslim population has been subjected to military oppression for several years. The Myanmar government explained the suspension as a response to violent actions by Rohingya militants who were allegedly using internet chat services to plan assaults on security troops.

Belarus' internet and cellular connections were both unavailable for many days in 2020. The internet outage, which also affected landlines, looked to be a government-sanctioned blackout that occurred in the aftermath of Belarus' last presidential election, which sparked large protests and exacerbated social instability. The blackout roiled the 9.5 million-strong country even more since official election results showed that five-term President Aleksandr Lukashenko had won a sixth term with almost 80% of the vote. Protests against Lukashenko's administration grew across the country over time, including critiques of his foreign policy and handling of the Covid-19 outbreak. The government retaliated by mobilizing police and military personnel and shutting down the internet, particularly in Minsk, the capital.

While Myanmar is still experiencing the world's most prolonged internet blackout, which has lasted over 240 days and counting, India's complete internet blackout in specific districts takes the title for the most destructive under the guise of democracy. India's Jammu and Kashmir area was fully cut off from the internet on August 5, 2019, according to Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Millions of people's lives were thrown into disarray overnight as the ramifications of such a massive internet outage became clear.

Hospitals and doctors who shared information virtually were thrown into disarray almost immediately. Almost all businesses battled to discover means to continue operating in a new world without internet communication, while educational institutions desperately reverted to ancient textbooks. Even the region's law enforcement organizations were having difficulty. Blocks on online messaging services have resulted in the loss of touch with informants. The shutdown was officially lifted in January 2020, when the Indian Supreme Court ruled that the limitation was unconstitutional. However, 3G and 4G internet connectivity in the region remains suspended, with the authorities only allowing 2G internet to be used.

There are several reasons for internet shutdowns, including the desire to suppress opponents, the attempt to contain protests, the concealment of human rights violations, and the undermining of elections. However, the most notable election-related shutdown occurred in Benin, a small democratic African country. Benin had been regarded as an ideal model of multiparty democracy for burgeoning African countries since the 1990s. Still, repressive crackdowns on civil liberties by an increasingly authoritarian president culminated in an election-day internet blackout, with the government citing concerns about the spread of "fake news."

In June 2019, as protests against the government in Sudan grew, activist groups launched a series of civil disobedience operations. The government retaliated by steadily increasing the scope of its internet blackouts until the entire country was effectively blacked out. On June 3rd, 2019, the military stepped in to disperse a supposedly peaceful sit-in, killing over 100 people and injuring another 700. Protesters could not live stream the brutal attack or even properly relay the violence to the outside world due to the internet outage.

While authoritarian governments utilizing internet shutdowns to maintain control systems, there are an increasing number of legal challenges to these shutdowns, which are often carried out with the help of international human rights organizations. In 2019, judicial victories over governments exceeding their legal jurisdiction were seen in Sudan, India, Zimbabwe, and Pakistan. These legal challenges are becoming increasingly essential in determining whether internet access should be recognized as a basic human right, a step that might make shutting it down illegal.