2019 was a record year for shutdowns in Africa
The BBC website reports on the increase number of restrictions to internet access in African countries. Research from the groups Access Now and the KeepItOn coalition shows that there were 25 cases of internet restrictions being imposed in 2019, versus 20 in the previous year. 21 of the 2019 cases affected either all or most parts of the countries concerned. The groups say the incidents are not just growing in number, but also ‘expanding in scope and affecting more and more people in Africa’. Restrictions can take the form of blocking URLs, throttling, or outright service shut-down, and take place most commonly around elections. The news site quotes Zimbabwe’s information minister as saying that regulations ‘ensure that the internet (is) used for the good of society, not to violate national security’.
The BBC website reports on the increase number of restrictions to internet access in African countries.
- Region:
- Middle East & Africa
