"Internet shutdowns used to be rare. They're increasingly becoming the norm in much of the world," 21 Dec 2019

... Internet blackout in Indian-controlled Kashmir is now the longest ever in a democracy -- at more than 135 days... David Kaye, the United Nation's special rapporteur on freedom of opinion and expression... [described this as] "communications siege" and "collective punishment without even the allegation of an underlying offense"... As more and more countries have seen the internet being used to organize for political change... internet blackouts have become increasingly common, a go-to tool for controlling unrest and stifling criticism of the government... In 2018, there were 196 internet shutdowns globally... [Losing internet access] can deprive people of vital information during periods of unrest, putting them at risk... Peter Micek, general counsel for Access Now, said that "every internet shutdown should be tracked and called out by the United Nations."

... Much of the global economy depends on communications technology... and internet shutdowns can have major economic repercussions... "The business community can band together in their existing associations ... and demand governments rein in their destructive tendency to order internet blackouts and throttling," Micek said. "Disclosing the financial cost of shutdowns is a clear way businesses can illustrate the adverse economic impacts to policymakers." Companies can also refuse to carry out network disruptions and instead challenge governments with legal, lobbying and policy tools."