India tops the world in internet blocking

 

India has shut down the internet as a tool to quell nationwide peasant protests and crush Kashmiris, the report said. It noted that out of a total of 155 cases of global Internet shutdowns, India recorded a record 109 times. This is six times more than Yemen in the next position. According to Access Now, India accounted for 60 percent of the world's Internet shutdowns in 2020. In occupied Jammu and Kashmir, the internet has been shut down at least once every two weeks. The report provoked strong reactions from freedom of speech supporters. Meanwhile, the government is demanding an explanation on social media with the hashtags Modiji_Joab_Do, FreedomObSpeech and InternetShotDown.

The report said that in January 2020, the government re-launched 2G internet connection in occupied Kashmir, but it was useless. Except for Ganderbal and Udhampur, there was no 3G and 4G mobile internet connection. And many times in 2020, the Modi government has even cut off 2G internet access there. As a result, the residents as well as the journalists were cut off from the outside world.

In places like Anantnag, authorities have repeatedly shut down 2G internet, citing "misuse of services". In most cases, Internet services are shut down whenever so-called "armed groups" clash with the military.

"It is worrying that India, the world's largest democracy, is still at the forefront of the Internet shutdown in the world," said Raman Jeet Singh Chima, senior international counsel at Access Now and director of Asia Pacific Policy. "We have been living in Kashmir for years through planned internet blackouts," he said. The use of these weapons is increasing in every part of the country to target peaceful protesters or to cover up the actions of government authorities.

India shuts down Internet due to political instability (75 times), elections (10 times), protests (8 times), religious holidays or anniversaries (5 times), communal violence (4 times) and exam fraud (2 times) Gave. Six countries in the Asia-Pacific region have jointly shut down the Internet a total of 108 times. However, India alone has shut down the Internet at least 109 times. Access Now says the reason for shutting down the internet in other parts of the world was ‘conflict’ at the top, followed by elections, protests, test fraud and political instability.

The people most affected by the shutdown in 2020 are those who have already faced repression, silence and marginalization. These include Myanmar's Rohingya Muslims, Belarusians fighting for democracy, and Ethiopians, Yemenis, and Kashmiris who have been victims of communal violence and armed conflict. What is more worrying is that the Indian government has alarmingly increased its powers by enacting legislation to increase control over the content of social media platforms. They have amended a law to regulate Internet service providers with social media platforms and online media sites. Source: Express Tribune.