Budapest Post

Cum Deo pro Patria et Libertate
Budapest, Europe and world news

In dozens of countries, governments rely on Internet shutdowns to hide repression

In dozens of countries, governments rely on Internet shutdowns to hide repression

Governments from Belarus to Kyrgyzstan to Zimbabwe have addressed recent protests with a common response: full or partial Internet shutdowns. Other countries - including Myanmar, Sudan, Venezuela, India and Ethiopia - have also recently limited or barred citizen access to the Internet.

Deliberately cutting off or slowing access to the Internet, in fact, has become increasingly common. In 2019, the #KeepItOn coalition recorded 213 incidents of Internet shutdowns across 33 countries.

Our recent work suggests that shutdowns pose three major challenges for protest movements. Here’s what you need to know.

Protest movements rely increasingly on the Internet


When access to the Internet is shut down, people mobilizing against the government find themselves cut off from essential coordination tools, such as messaging apps, alert systems and crowdsourced protest maps.

Protest movements tend to grow rapidly and spontaneously without much prior in-person organization, making it difficult for protesters to revert to offline communication during an Internet blackout. As they become more established, many protest movements rely heavily on digital channels to reach new supporters.

Beyond coordination obstacles, shutdowns often are linked to violent repression. In a recent study, we analyzed how Internet accessibility enabled government-sanctioned violence in Syria. Throughout the Syrian conflict, the government of Bashar al-Assad has tightly controlled access to the Internet. While some of the country’s 14 governorates (a regional distinction) - such as Damascus and Latakia - have largely remained connected to the Internet, others have regularly been subjected to severe limitations and shutdowns.

Regional data on where the Internet is accessible, as well as data on more than 65,000 lethal attacks by government forces on civilians between 2013 and 2015, suggest that the government deliberately limits Internet access when conducting military offensives that result in indiscriminate violence.

Our findings also suggest the Assad government adapted its repressive strategy to the realities on the ground. In opposition-controlled areas, Internet shutdowns were more frequent and coincided more often with indiscriminate military offensives.

It’s not just Syria - coordination between military action and regional network blackouts has become more commonplace in other countries. Last month, the Ethiopian government announced it would take retaliatory action in the northern region of Tigray and simultaneously cut Internet access and regular landline telephone service before launching the military offensive.

For opposition groups, the Internet is an essential lifeline


Anti-establishment protests from Iran to Belarus also count on the Internet to help draw international attention to their demands and demonstrate resolve. Cutting Internet access essentially cuts their lifeline to the outside world.

Iran shut down the Internet to stop protests. But for how long?

This was the scenario in Iran in November 2019. As tensions mounted, the government cracked down on protesters and cut off access to the global Internet. First cellular data, then fixed-line connections went dead. Leaked evidence shows that the government deliberately held off from reconnecting the country until after protests had ceased.

The shutdown made it extremely difficult for witnesses inside Iran to share information in real-time with the outside world. The extensive Iranian diaspora had limited ways of checking whether friends and family had been harassed or arrested. International human rights groups and journalists were unable to monitor the violence as it unfolded. This meant that initially the number of people killed during the protests was hugely undercounted. It is likely that the government sought to avoid a repeat of the global media attention during the country’s 2009 protests. .

The Internet is essential to documenting violence


Internet shutdowns also help cover up violence by security forces that would otherwise be broadcast to the world. In the Tigray region of Ethiopia, for instance, news outlets and human rights organizations have been largely unable to monitor the situation. Without documentation, it becomes more difficult to debunk disinformation and misinformation on both sides.

Our work shows how documentation is affected long after the Internet has been restored. In a new report, we analyzed more than 100 verified videos collected from social media and messaging apps during last year’s protests in Iran. The videos show security forces using lethal force, often shooting protesters and bystanders, including children. The descriptions of injuries cited on 24 death or burial certificates support allegations from protesters that authorities operated an indiscriminate “shoot-to-kill” policy.

Even though many of the killings took place in public, the government has kept many details hidden. Amnesty International spent six months identifying details of more than 304 men, women and children killed by government troops, far more than the total documented deaths reported by The Washington Post directly after the protests. The true death toll may never be known.

What this tells us is just how hard it is to document government repression, serious human rights violations and crimes during an Internet blackout. Even after Internet access resumed, many people didn’t post photos and videos that reflected the extent of the protests or the violence. Some witnesses said they deleted photos and videos because they feared arrest, detention or prosecution - leaving evidence of the crackdown suppressed.

How women helped rally mass protests against Nigeria’s police corruption

When documentation of government violence is hindered through shutdowns, it becomes more difficult to hold the perpetrators accountable. But the immediate effects are also evident. For protest movements specifically aimed at pressing for policy change surrounding the security forces — including the Black Lives Matter movement in the United States and #EndSARS in Nigeria - sharing videos that provide evidence of excessive force has been integral to the ability to mobilize supporters and fight for justice.

While protesters are finding new ways to resist information blackouts, the increased use of shutdowns threatens the future of protests as we’ve come to know them.

Anita R. Gohdes is professor of international and cybersecurity at the Hertie School, Berlin. Find her on Twitter @argohdes. 

Sophie Dyer is the Amnesty Decoders project manager at the Evidence Lab at Amnesty International and an affiliate of the Berkman Klein Center of Internet & Society at Harvard University. Find her on Twitter @sophiecdyer.

Likhita Banerji is a researcher/adviser on technology and human rights at Amnesty International.

AI Disclaimer: An advanced artificial intelligence (AI) system generated the content of this page on its own. This innovative technology conducts extensive research from a variety of reliable sources, performs rigorous fact-checking and verification, cleans up and balances biased or manipulated content, and presents a minimal factual summary that is just enough yet essential for you to function as an informed and educated citizen. Please keep in mind, however, that this system is an evolving technology, and as a result, the article may contain accidental inaccuracies or errors. We urge you to help us improve our site by reporting any inaccuracies you find using the "Contact Us" link at the bottom of this page. Your helpful feedback helps us improve our system and deliver more precise content. When you find an article of interest here, please look for the full and extensive coverage of this topic in traditional news sources, as they are written by professional journalists that we try to support, not replace. We appreciate your understanding and assistance.
Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Vatican hosts first Catholic LGBTQ pilgrimage
Apple Unveils iPhone 17 Series, iPhone Air, Apple Watch 11 and More at 'Awe Dropping' Event
France joins Eurozone’s ‘periphery’ as turmoil deepens, say investors
France Faces New Political Crisis, again, as Prime Minister Bayrou Pushed Out
Nayib Bukele Points Out Belgian Hypocrisy as Brussels Considers Sending Army into the Streets
France, at an Impasse, Heads Toward Another Government Collapse
The Country That Got Too Rich? Public Spending Dominates Norway Election
EU Proposes Phasing Out Russian Oil and Gas by End of 2027 to End Energy Dependence
More Than 150,000 Followers for a Fictional Character: The New Influencers Are AI Creations
EU Prepares for War
Trump Threatens Retaliatory Tariffs After EU Imposes €2.95 Billion Fine on Google
Tesla Board Proposes Unprecedented One-Trillion-Dollar Performance Package for Elon Musk
Gold Could Reach Nearly $5,000 if Fed Independence Is Undermined, Goldman Sachs Warns
Uruguay, Colombia and Paraguay Secure Places at 2026 World Cup
Trump Administration Advances Plans to Rebrand Pentagon as Department of War Instead of the Fake Term Department of Defense
Big Tech Executives Laud Trump at White House Dinner, Unveil Massive U.S. Investments
Tether Expands into Gold Sector with Profit-Driven Diversification
‘Looks Like a Wig’: Online Users Express Concern Over Kate Middleton
Florida’s Vaccine Revolution: DeSantis Declares War on Mandates
Trump’s New War – and the ‘Drug Tyrant’ Fearing Invasion: ‘1,200 Missiles Aimed at Us’
"The Situation Has Never Been This Bad": The Fall of PepsiCo
At the Parade in China: Laser Weapons, 'Eagle Strike,' and a Missile Capable of 'Striking Anywhere in the World'
The Fashion Designer Who Became an Italian Symbol: Giorgio Armani Has Died at 91
Putin Celebrates ‘Unprecedentedly High’ Ties with China as Gazprom Seals Power of Siberia-2 Deal
China Unveils New Weapons in Grand Military Parade as Xi Hosts Putin and Kim
Rapper Cardi B Cleared of Liability in Los Angeles Civil Assault Trial
Google Avoids Break-Up in U.S. Antitrust Case as Stocks Rise
Couple celebrates 80th wedding anniversary at assisted living facility in Lancaster
Information Warfare in the Age of AI: How Language Models Become Targets and Tools
The White House on LinkedIn Has Changed Their Profile Picture to Donald Trump
"Insulted the Prophet Muhammad": Woman Burned Alive by Angry Mob in Niger State, Nigeria
Trump Responds to Death Rumors – Announces 'Missile City'
Druzhba Pipeline Incident Sparks Geopolitical Tensions
Cost of Opposition Leader Péter Magyar's Economic Plan Revealed
Germany in Turmoil: Ukrainian Teenage Girl Pushed to Death by Illegal Iraqi Migrant
United Krack down on human rights: Graham Linehan Arrested at Heathrow Over Three X Posts, Hospitalised, Released on Bail with Posting Ban
Asian and Middle Eastern Investors Avoid US Markets
Ray Dalio Warns of US Shift to Autocracy
Eurozone Inflation Rises to 2.1% in August
Russia and China Sign New Gas Pipeline Deal
Von der Leyen's Plane Hit by Suspected Russian GPS Interference in an Incident Believed to Be Caused by Russia or by Pro-Peace or by Anti-Corruption European Activists
China's Robotics Industry Fuels Export Surge
Suntory Chairman Resigns After Police Probe
Gold Price Hits New All-Time Record
UK Fintechs Explore Buying US Banks
Greece Suspends 5% of Schools as Birth Rate Drops
Apollo to Launch $5 Billion Sports Investment Vehicle
Bolsonaro Trial Nears Close Amid US-Brazil Tension
European Banks Push for Lower Cross-Border Barriers
Poland's Offshore Wind Sector Attracts Investors
×