India leads the world in Internet shutdowns

India, the world’s largest democracy, continues to normalize shutting down the internet and suspending mobile communications for tens of millions of citizens in the country to foil protests.

India leads the world in Internet shutdowns

Days after Narendra Modi led government shut down mobile communications in the northeastern states of Assam, Meghalaya, and Tripura (yet to be restored) which are a home to more than 36 million people and later the parts of Uttar Pradesh (yet to be restored), the most populated state in the country with more than 200 million people also received the internet shutdown.

The Indian government suspended mobile Internet services in parts of the capital New Delhi on Thursday (Dec 19), as protests over a citizenship bill seen as discriminating against Muslims escalated. Later, the Indian government — which already has the worst track record among any nation for internet shutdowns — issued a similar direction for Mangalore, a major commercial center in the state of Karnataka.

According to a report by internet advocacy group Access, India led the world in Internet shutdowns by the year 2018 accounting for 67 percent of the total recorded worldwide.

According to the Software Freedom and Law Center (SLFC), which has been tracking the suspensions, there have been 373 halts in India’s internet service.

India’s Home Ministry referred to the Information and Broadcasting Ministry about the internet shutdowns, which in turn referred questions to the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology which said that such shutdowns were a matter for local police departments.

Shutdowns aren’t always statewide. Some, such as the one in Delhi, are instituted across a few districts for a short span of time.

State governments take this step when they believe it is necessary to maintain law and order. Most of Jammu and Kashmir has had no internet service for more than four months, after the Indian government clamped down on communications following the revocation of the state’s autonomy on Aug. 5. Reportedly, the Jammu and Kashmir region has had 180 shutdowns since 2012.

The SLFC lists a variety of reasons for the suspension of internet services gathered from government orders and media reports. The reason given most often is that it is a preventative measure, imposed in anticipation of a breakdown in law and order.