What is an internet shutdown?
An internet shutdown happens when someone — usually a government — intentionally disrupts the internet or mobile apps to control what people say or do. Shutdowns are also sometimes called “blackouts” or “kill switches.” Here’s a more technical definition developed by experts: “An internet shutdown is 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.”
The internet enables all our human rights, and we need our leaders to pledge to #KeepitOn.
Why is this a problem?
Internet shutdowns pose a threat to human rights around the world. They harm everyone: businesses, emergency services, journalism, human rights defenders, and demonstrators. They don’t help victims or restore order. Even worse, the number of internet shutdowns is dramatically increasing around the world, according to our new Shutdown Tracker Optimization Project (STOP)(Raw data coming in February 2020 with the #KeepItOn 2019 report).