India is the world’s leader when it comes to internet shutdowns — for the sixth year in a row — according to a report by Access Now, a global digital rights non-profit organisation. In all, more than half of all global internet shutdowns were attributed to India since 2017, according to the report. The implications of internet shutdowns — maintaining security and law and order is often the fig leaf used for such mischief — can be wide-ranging. The government argues that internet shutdowns help it stop the spread of misinformation and prevent troublemakers from organising violence. The Supreme Court has in the past made it clear that it is uneasy about internet shutdowns and the opacity in the decision-making behind restrictions to access the internet.

Source: The Telegraph May 18, 2024 13:33 UTC