{"id":13970,"date":"2021-02-08T00:00:00","date_gmt":"2021-02-08T00:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/current_affairs\/uncategorized\/08-02-2021\/internet-shutdowns\/"},"modified":"2021-02-08T00:00:00","modified_gmt":"2021-02-08T00:00:00","slug":"internet-shutdowns","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/current-affairs\/08-02-2021\/internet-shutdowns","title":{"rendered":"Internet Shutdowns"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><strong>In News:<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Recently, the <strong>Jammu and Kashmir<\/strong> (J&#038;K)<strong> administration has restored high-speed mobile Internet<\/strong> for the first time <strong>since <\/strong>5th August 2019.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>The Home department revoked the restrictions on mobile data services and fixed-line Internet <strong>after the advice of a special committee<\/strong> and <strong>upon careful review of the overall security situation<\/strong> in the UT.\n<ul>\n<li>The high-speed mobile Internet remained<strong> suspended for 18 months<\/strong> to keep handlers across the border away and it impacted students and businesses the most.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>Background:<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>The<strong> Internet, mobile and telephone connections<\/strong> were snapped in J&#038;K when the Centre abrogated the erstwhile state\u2019s special status under <a href=\"https:\/\/blog.nextias.com\/article-370\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><strong>Article 370<\/strong><\/a> and <strong>Article 35A<\/strong> on 5th August 2019.<\/li>\n<li><strong>5th August 2020<\/strong>, marked the <a href=\"https:\/\/blog.nextias.com\/first-anniversary-of-article-370-abrogation\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><strong>first anniversary<\/strong><\/a> of the event,<strong> after which high-speed mobile data services were restored<\/strong> in Ganderbal and Udhampur on a trial basis on 16th August 2020.\n<ul>\n<li><strong>However<\/strong>, in <strong>January <\/strong>the UT administration <strong>again extended a ban <\/strong>on high-speed mobile data services.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<table border=\"1\" cellspacing=\"0\" style=\"width:624px\">\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<td style=\"vertical-align:top; width:6.5in\">\n<p><strong>Scrapping of Articles 370 and 35A<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/cfstatic.nextias.com\/cdn-cgi\/image\/format=auto\/file_library\/mix_content\/256946466073328580_image.png\" style=\"height:767px; margin-left:50px; margin-right:50px; width:470px\" \/><\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/cfstatic.nextias.com\/cdn-cgi\/image\/format=auto\/file_library\/mix_content\/223907859310878700_image.png\" style=\"height:388px; margin-left:50px; margin-right:50px; width:328px\" \/><\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/cfstatic.nextias.com\/cdn-cgi\/image\/format=auto\/file_library\/mix_content\/361788363368507300_image.png\" style=\"height:357px; margin-left:50px; margin-right:50px; width:419px\" \/><\/strong><\/p>\n<p>\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>\u00a0<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<p><strong>About Internet Shutdowns:<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Internet shutdowns are an <strong>absolute restriction<\/strong> placed on the use of Internet services due to an order issued by a government body.<\/li>\n<li>It may be<strong> limited to a specific place<\/strong> and <strong>to a specific period<\/strong>, <strong>time <\/strong>or <strong>number of days<\/strong>. Sometimes it can even <strong>extend indefinitely<\/strong>.<\/li>\n<li>An Internet shutdown <strong>may be limited to mobile Internet<\/strong> or the <strong>wired broadband<\/strong> that or<strong> both at the same time<\/strong>.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Data Analysis in Indian Context:<\/strong>\n<ul>\n<li>Between<strong> 2017 and 2019<\/strong>, there was a <strong>huge increase in the number of preventive Internet shutdowns<\/strong> enforced by the central and the state governments.<\/li>\n<li>There were at least <strong>147 instances<\/strong> for which there is <strong>no data on the duration<\/strong> of the shutdowns.\n<ul>\n<li>According to data available in the public domain and compiled by the <strong>Software Freedom Law Centre<\/strong> (SFLC), there is a <strong>lack of any form of communication<\/strong> on these blockades.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li>In most of these instances, there was <strong>no formal order being issued<\/strong> to the telecom operators.\n<ul>\n<li>Since 2012, Jammu and Kashmir has seen at least 60 instances of connectivity being snapped for more than 24 hours without any official order.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li>In <strong>2017<\/strong>, there were <strong>79 instances<\/strong> of Internet shutdown across the country. Similarly, in <strong>2018<\/strong>, authorities suspended mobile phone connectivity <strong>126 times<\/strong>, and <strong>100 times in 2019<\/strong>.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>\u00a0<\/p>\n<p><strong><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/cfstatic.nextias.com\/cdn-cgi\/image\/format=auto\/file_library\/mix_content\/460820817199127300_image.png\" style=\"height:382px; margin-left:150px; margin-right:150px; width:357px\" \/><\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Global Status:<\/strong>\n<ul>\n<li>The total number of Internet shutdowns increased from <strong>75 in 2016<\/strong> to <strong>106 in 2017<\/strong>, and to <strong>196 in 2018<\/strong>.\n<ul>\n<li>In 2018, of the 196 shutdowns in 25 countries, as many as 134 were in <strong>India<\/strong>, <strong>followed by Pakistan <\/strong>with 12 shutdowns.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li><strong>Asia and Africa <\/strong>saw the <strong>most shutdowns in 2018<\/strong>.<\/li>\n<li>Authoritarian regimes such as <strong>China <\/strong>and <strong>Iran routinely cut<\/strong> their people off from the world wide web.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li><strong>Reasons for Shutdowns:<\/strong>\n<ul>\n<li>To ensure peace during a festival procession.<\/li>\n<li>To prevent cheating in exams.<\/li>\n<li>To block the flow of information about government actions or to end communication among activists<\/li>\n<li>To curb uploading, downloading and circulation of provocative videos, guard against rumour-mongering\/fake news, prevent the use of encrypted messaging and coordinating terror activities.<\/li>\n<li>To defeat the nefarious designs from across the border to propagate terrorism.<\/li>\n<li>To prevent the misuse of data services by elements that have the potential to scale up violent activities and disturb public order.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li><strong>Procedure Followed to Shut Internet:<\/strong>\n<ul>\n<li>Under the<strong> Indian Telegraph Act of 1885<\/strong>, only the <strong>Home Secretary<\/strong> of the central or the state government can <strong>pass orders<\/strong> to enforce an Internet shutdown in any area. The Act lays down many checks and balances.<\/li>\n<li>The order must <strong>include the detailed reasons<\/strong> for the shutdown and must be <strong>sent to a review committee<\/strong> the following day.<\/li>\n<li>The committee will submit its report within five days. The communications <strong>blockade will continue only if the shutdown is justified by the committee<\/strong>.<\/li>\n<li>However, <strong>states generally do not follow<\/strong> the whole procedure.\n<ul>\n<li>Rajasthan is the only state that provides a formal order for nearly all Internet shutdowns it enforces.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li>Using <strong>Section 144 of the Code Of Criminal Procedure<\/strong> to justify the communications blockade and the continuance of it, has been a rising trend.\n<ul>\n<li>Section 144 gives a magistrate the powers to <strong>enforce a general shutdown <\/strong>of the area, if he or she believes that there could be violence in the area.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li>Most of the Internet shutdowns are done using the \u2018<strong>kill switch<\/strong>\u2019 individual tower-wise in respective areas.<\/li>\n<li>Following instructions from the authorities, the local unit of the <strong>telcos switches off power to the tower<\/strong> in that area, following which mobile phones in the area latch on to the next nearest tower.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li><strong>Impact:<\/strong>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Economic Impact:<\/strong>\n<ul>\n<li>It <strong>damages the economies and individual businesses<\/strong><\/li>\n<li>Reports estimate that <strong>India loses around Rs. 6,000 crore per year <\/strong>due to Internet shutdowns.<\/li>\n<li>The government had told the Rajya Sabha that it<strong> did not keep a track of how much losses<\/strong> were incurred by the states or the individuals owing to the Internet shutdowns.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li><strong>Social Impact:<\/strong>\n<ul>\n<li>Internet shutdowns drastically <strong>disrupt the daily life<\/strong> of ordinary citizens and they might feel <strong>isolated from their community<\/strong> and a <strong>disconnect <\/strong>from the rest of the world.<\/li>\n<li>In areas, where the Internet has become <strong>embedded into the health and education sectors<\/strong>, its absence disrupts the whole value chain.<\/li>\n<li>It disrupts the <strong>transportation system<\/strong> especially ride sharing applications which rely on the Internet for geolocation data and online payment systems.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li><strong>Technical Impact:<\/strong>\n<ul>\n<li>There are <strong>collateral damages<\/strong> associated with network disruptions. These include the form of <strong>over-blocking of websites and content<\/strong> that was<strong> not intended to be restricted<\/strong>.<\/li>\n<li>It exposes users to <strong>privacy and security risks<\/strong>. For example, when people turn to untrustworthy VPNs in order to route around restrictions, their personal data is at risk.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li><strong>Impact on Governance:<\/strong>\n<ul>\n<li>In the wake of <strong>Digital India<\/strong>, <strong>universal payments<\/strong> and <strong>cashless India<\/strong>, availability of the mobile Internet is absolutely necessary for the flow of the economy and governance but these shutdowns hamper them as well.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>Related Court Judgements:<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>In <strong>Faheema Shirin versus the State of Kerala<\/strong>, <strong>2019<\/strong>, the Kerala High Court declared the right to <strong>Internet access as a fundamental right<\/strong> forming a part of the <strong>Right to Privacy<\/strong> and the <strong>Right to Education<\/strong> under<strong> Article 21<\/strong> of the Constitution.<\/li>\n<li>In <strong>Anuradha Bhasin versus the Union of India, 2020<\/strong>, the Supreme Court ruled that an <strong>undefined restriction<\/strong> of internet services would be <strong>illegal <\/strong>and that orders for internet shutdown must satisfy the tests of necessity and proportionality.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>Way Forward:<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>In recognition of the<strong> Internet as a human right<\/strong>, the <strong>United Nations Human Rights Council<\/strong> passed a <strong>non-binding resolution<\/strong> on \u201c<strong>The promotion, protection and enjoyment of human rights on the Internet<\/strong>\u201d in <strong>2016<\/strong>.\n<ul>\n<li>It condemns countries for disrupting Internet access to the citizens and expressed concerns on human rights violations and abuses on the Internet.<\/li>\n<li>It also held that measures aiming to intentionally prevent or disrupt access to or dissemination of information online, violate international human rights law.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li>The Internet is kind of a basic human right, even if it is not legally defined as such, for most parts of the world.<strong> Without access to the virtual world<\/strong>, a very large number of <strong>vital human activities simply stop.<\/strong> Hence, it is <strong>crucial for governments to understand<\/strong> this and look for alternative or less damaging options.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.thehindu.com\/news\/national\/4g-mobile-internet-services-being-restored-in-entire-jk-says-government-spokesperson\/article33761785.ece\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><strong>Source: TH<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>In News: Recently, the Jammu and Kashmir (J&#038;K) administration has restored high-speed mobile Internet for the first time since 5th August 2019. The Home department revoked the restrictions on mobile data services and fixed-line Internet after the advice of a special committee and upon careful review of the overall security situation in the UT. The [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":13971,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[21],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-13970","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-current-affairs"],"acf":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/wp-images.nextias.com\/cdn-cgi\/image\/format=auto\/ca\/uploads\/2023\/07\/4189612current-affairs.jpg","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/13970","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=13970"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/13970\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/13971"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=13970"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=13970"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=13970"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}