internet shutdowns

Since early 2021, the Kingdom of Eswatini has been gripped by waves of civil unrest, with reports of internet shutdowns implemented by the government in response to protests. It is in this climate of suspicion and unrest that cybercrime and data protection laws were gazetted in early 2022.

This submission was produced in response to the call by the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights for input to a report on internet shutdowns and human rights that will be presented to the 50th session of the Human Rights Council in June 2022.

One year ago, as the Myanmar military sent tanks down the streets, it shut down the internet, mobile phone networks and radio and television channels. Today, the military is ramping up efforts to cement authoritarian control of online space. This is a digital coup, and the world must resist.

In August 2021, Zambia became the latest country to restrict citizens’ access to social media platforms as the country went to the polls. The disruption of digital communications has become a recurring theme in numerous countries during elections and in times of public protest.

In recognition of the 250 organisations in the #KeepItOn Coalition against internet shutdowns, we urge all states to immediately and unconditionally cease shutting down, throttling, or blocking the internet.

Four African digital rights-centred networks have committed to increasing collaboration for the consolidation of their work and avoidance of duplication of activities while ensuring the full attainment and protection of digital rights at national, regional and global levels.

This study sought to explore the impact of the recent internet shutdown on journalists during the election period in Uganda. It further captures specific journalist experiences of the internet shutdown on their work both in the city and countryside.

Disruptions to the internet and social media applications have emerged as a common and growing trend of digital repression, especially in authoritarian countries in Africa. Since 2019, numerous countries in the region have either restricted or fully blocked access to the internet.