Internet Shutdowns At Record High In Africa As Access 'Weaponized' (theguardian.com) 22
Internet shutdowns in Africa hit a record high in 2024, with 21 shutdowns across 15 countries. The previous record was 19 shutdowns in 2020 and 21. The Guardian reports: Authorities in Comoros, Guinea-Bissau and Mauritius joined repeat offenders such as Burundi, Ethiopia, Equatorial Guinea and Kenya. Guinea, Nigeria, Senegal and Tanzania were also on the list. But perpetrators also included militias and other non-state actors. Telecommunication and internet service providers who shut services based on government orders are also complicit in violating people's rights, said Felicia Anthonio, the #KeepItOn campaign manager at Access Now, citing the UN guiding principles on business and human rights.
The details showed that most of the shutdowns were imposed as a response to conflicts, protests and political instability. There were also restrictions during elections. [...] At least five shutdowns in Africa had been imposed for more than a year by the end of 2024, according to Access Now. As of early 2025, the social network Meta was still restricted in Uganda, despite authorities engaging with its representatives. On the Equatorial Guinean island of Annobon, internet and cell services have been cut off since an August 2024 protest over environmental concerns and isolation from the rest of the country. The increase in shutdowns led the African Commission on Human and Peoples' Rights to pass a landmark resolution in March 2024 to help reverse the trend.
The details showed that most of the shutdowns were imposed as a response to conflicts, protests and political instability. There were also restrictions during elections. [...] At least five shutdowns in Africa had been imposed for more than a year by the end of 2024, according to Access Now. As of early 2025, the social network Meta was still restricted in Uganda, despite authorities engaging with its representatives. On the Equatorial Guinean island of Annobon, internet and cell services have been cut off since an August 2024 protest over environmental concerns and isolation from the rest of the country. The increase in shutdowns led the African Commission on Human and Peoples' Rights to pass a landmark resolution in March 2024 to help reverse the trend.
These people need Christianity (Score:1, Troll)
Re: These people need Christianity (Score:2)
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Re: These people need Christianity (Score:2)
Re: These people need Christianity (Score:1)
Islam and Judaism are no better.
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I sincerely hope that the person who is downvoting me doesn't think "Christianity bad, Judaism and Islam good". I'm very well aware that idiots who believe that are many, I just hope that they aren't here, on Slashdot. The lost karma doesn't bother me, the coexistence with idiots on a forum does.
I'm not a Christianity lover, anyway. I'm a staunch atheist, just to be clear.
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To be fare its a lesson in what not to do in warfare. Had Israel wiped Judah completely off the map instead of sparing them, centuries of Hatfields vs McCoys could have been averted. There is only 2 ways to win a war. 1) wipe out every single living person on the other side so there is noone left to fight. 2) make the cost so great that the losing side surrenders unconditionally and is so demoralized they never ever want to pick up a rock or a weapon and fight again. Anything less gets you centuries of bac
Re: These people need Christianity (Score:3)
Re: These people need Christianity (Score:2)
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You’re aware Africa isn’t a country right? What difference does it make if south Africa is predominantly christian if Rwanda, the Congo, or Nigeria isn't. Many countries are banana republics and warlords.
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Well the parts that do have christianity as a predominant religion are a much lower percentage of the war torn banana republic outlined in the subject. I certainly dont see South Africa falling into this total mayhem, What is needed is education AND jobs. If you want to take the wind out of the political sails of China, start moving cheap-labor, non-technical, manufacturing to places in Africa. There's plenty of low-skill manufacturing being done in China. That will give the people discretionary income and
Re: These people need Christianity (Score:2)
Ethiopia (Abyssinia) had been Christian for longer than any European country. The result isn't impressive. Notorious tyrants like Meles Zenawi the butcher, Isaias Afwerki and countless others.
An excellent reason for satellite based internet. (Score:2)
We know GPS can be interfered with but looking at the number of these low orbit satellites it'll probably much harder to shut down the communication.
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Its my understanding that a combination of TOR and a distributed mesh of OpenWRT was exactly meant to combat this very situation.
Many many moons ago (Score:1)
I was riding the CalTrain up to the San Francisco airport and I overheard a conversation between two young women from India, opining on their career prospects in Silicon Valley versus back home in India in the mid-to-late 2000s.
The word they kept repeating to eachother was "same." The opportunity for career growth was the same. The tech ecosystem was the same. The standard of living was the same.
Perhaps in the rarified air that lets you jet between Mumbai and San Francisco on a whim and send your daughter t
But some are NECESSARY! (Score:2)
Senegal shuts down the whole internet in the country during high-school exams to prevent students from cheating.
If that's not a valid reason, then I don't know.:-)