Internet shutdowns are just one way that internet access was limited in 2016. (Photo: Zofeen Ebrahim / IPS)
Governments around the world shut down the internet more than 50 times in 2016 — suppressing elections, slowing economies and limiting free speech.
In the worst cases internet shutdowns have been associated with human rights violations, Deji Olukotun, Senior Global Advocacy Manager at digital rights organisation Access Now told IPS.
“What we have found is that internet shutdowns go hand in hand with atrocities” said Olukotun.
“In Ethiopia there’s been consistent blocking this year of social media and internet.” Dozens of people have died in protests in Ethiopia in 2016, “many of them during the kind of blackout where it’s difficult to report on what’s happening,” he said.
Several leaders used internet shutdowns to affect democratic processes, including elections.
“In Uganda in February 2016 there was a shutdown of social media networks by President Museveni and that again happened in Gambia (in December) surrounding the election,” Olukotun added.
In other cases, three governments chose to shut down the internet because they thought that it would stop students from cheating on their exams, he said.
However governments do not seem to have taken into account the potential repercussions of the shutdowns, beyond the limits of free speech.
According to a recent Brookings Institute paper internet shutdowns cost countries 2.4 billion dollars in 2015.
The biggest losses were in India, $968 million, Saudi Arabia, $465 million and Morocco which lost $320 million. According to Brookings these are conservative estimates which only take into account reductions in economic activity and not tax losses or drops in investor confidence.
However while many governments chose to limit internet access in 2016, many others invested billions in expanding internet access.
“On the whole most governments want to expand internet access,” said Olukotun. “Many of them see it as an opportunity to…