From: Brookings | TechTank
This past June, the United Nations Human Rights Council passed a non-binding resolution condemning the intentional shutdown or disruption of domestic internet access. Despite the support of many member states, governments such as India, Saudi Arabia, Morocco, Iraq, Brazil, the Republic of the Congo, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Syria, Turkey, and Algeria have shut down internet or mobile service, sometimes for an extended period.
In my new paper, I detail the economic costs to countries that intentionally disrupt citizens’ digital access. I found 81 short-term internet shutdowns that occurred in 19 countries between July 1, 2015 and June 30, 2016, and estimated that such obstruction cost the global economy at least US$2.4 billion.
Leave a Reply