GNI uses the term network disruptions to describe network blackouts, internet throttling, website blocking, and other types of internet shutdowns often effectuated by governments via orders to technology companies. It refers to intentional, significant disruption of electronic communication within a given area and/or affecting a predetermined group of citizens.
Extreme manifestations of network disruptions involve the large-scale or complete disconnection of digital communication, with the impact radius covering a local area, an administrative region, several regions, or an entire country. In recent years, these disruptions have increasingly been ordered during politically charged contexts such as protests or elections, increasing human rights impacts.
In 2022, the UN published a seminal report highlighting the threats posed to human rights by increasing network disruptions and warning States against imposing shutdowns in any form. The report reinforces a position that GNI has long maintained: such drastic measures to restrict communication almost always violate the principles of proportionality and necessity.
GNI and its framework helps companies push for greater transparency and accountability under such circumstances. GNI issued a seminal statement on network disruptions in 2016 and continues to advocate against these practices. Our one-page guide for policymakers highlights the wide variety of harms network disruptions can cause to human rights, economic activity, public safety, and emergency services, and through situation-specific statements, we bring attention to developing disruptions worldwide.
GNI has also commissioned or otherwise released a series of research reports on the impacts of network disruptions, and currently co-chairs the Freedom Online Coalition’s Task Force on Internet Shutdowns, together with the United Kingdom’s Foreign and Commonwealth Office and Access Now.
Read our latest work on network disruptions below.