As internet use has surged, especially in developing world, so have attempts to switch off flow of informationOn Thursday, internet shutdowns came to the capital city of the world’s largest democracy. As internet penetration has surged this past decade, especially in the developing world, so have attempts to switch off the flow of information. The internet-freedom group Access Now recorded 75 internet outages around the world in 2016; the figure more than doubled to 196 last year. Since India’s first recorded use of the tactic, six times in 2012, it has become the world’s undisputed leader, accounting for 134 internet shutdowns last year, around 68% of the global total. “It means that shutting down the internet in a state of emergency should be standard practice for sovereign countries,” it said.

Source: The Guardian December 19, 2019 12:45 UTC