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INTERNET BLACKOUTS SKYROCKET POLITICAL UNREST TV

Ethiopia has repeatedly done so during mass protests, and the government blocked internet and telecom access in the Tigray region ahead of a military offensive there last November - severely impacting the availability of reliable information about the conflict.Iran and Venezuela are particularly quick to restrict access, according to NetBlocks’ data.Flashback: In 2019, Myanmar imposed what Human Rights Watch has described as “the world’s longest internet shutdown” in the conflict-ridden Rakhine and Chin states.īetween the lines: The internet was created to democratize information, but it's now one of the most powerful weapons autocrats use to silence dissenters and maintain power.Internet disruptions began at around 3am local time, according to NetBlocks, and connectivity had by 8am dropped by 50% before being “partially restored” by the afternoon.

But they also appeared to follow the more modern playbook.

INTERNET BLACKOUTS SKYROCKET POLITICAL UNREST TV

Neighboring Belarus also disrupted the internet during recent protests, as have countries from Algeria to Zimbabwe.ĭriving the news: Myanmar’s military followed the tried and true rule of coup plotters everywhere by ensuring they were in control of state TV before making their move on Monday.

NetBlocks also reported disruptions in Russian cities during recent protests over the detention of Alexei Navalny.

Blockages are particularly common around elections in Africa, most recently in Uganda.

Authorities have used the outages to reduce or prevent unrest - or to hide it from public view. The big picture: At least 35 countries have restricted access to the internet or social media platforms at least once since 2019, according to NetBlocks, a group that tracks internet freedom. That’s no surprise: Internet blackouts are now common around the world when power hangs in the balance. Why it matters: Internet disruptions in Myanmar early Monday morning coincided with reports that top politicians, including the country’s de facto leader Aung San Suu Kyi, were being rounded up by the military. Where there’s a coup, there will probably be an internet outage. Data: Axios analysis of NetBlocks reports Map: Andrew Witherspoon/Axios