[Chapter-delegates] Internet Shutdowns

[Hank Nussbacher]

On 18/04/2026 20:14, Nkoro, N. E. via Chapter-delegates wrote:

This might be of interest (published 3 days ago):
https://www.kentik.com/blog/irans-internet-blackout-peering-into-the-worlds-worst-internet-shutdown/

Regards,
Hank

> Hello Glenn / All,
>
> Thank you for raising this important issue. Unfortunately, the 
> frequent shutdown of the internet is becoming a recurring and deeply 
> troubling trend, with far-reaching consequences for society, 
> communities, nations, regions, and the global ecosystem. The 
> increasing pace and normalization of these shutdowns clearly call for 
> urgent and sustained attention.
>
> What is particularly concerning is that these actions are often 
> initiated or enforced by governments—one arm of the internet 
> governance multistakeholder system. As highlighted in the article 
> /“Internet Shutdowns Becoming Routine for Authoritarian Regimes, Panel 
> Says,”/ this trend illustrates the significant autonomy governments 
> currently exercise in determining how, when, where, and by whom the 
> internet is used. This growing imbalance of power is alarming.
>
> The critical question, therefore, is: *what can the other stakeholders 
> within the multistakeholder model—civil society, the private sector, 
> the technical community, and academia—do to restore balance and 
> prevent excessive or unilateral government control over the internet?* 
> Addressing this challenge requires a collective, collaborative, and 
> principled approach.
>
> As aptly noted by *Elina Castillo Jimenez*, Advocacy and Policy 
> Advisor at *Amnesty International*, governments often use internet 
> shutdowns to achieve three core objectives: /to conceal events, 
> disrupt communication, and control narratives/. The human rights, 
> economic, and democratic costs of these actions are profound.
>
> This raises a fundamental concern: are we gradually accepting a 
> reality in which governments wield near-absolute control over the 
> internet? If so, does this not represent a serious threat to openness, 
> accountability, and the very principles upon which the global internet 
> was built?
>
> These are questions we must confront openly and urgently, before 
> internet shutdowns become an unquestioned norm rather than an 
> exceptional and contested measure.
>
> Thanks.
>
> Nkoro, N. E
>
>
>
> On Sat, Apr 18, 2026 at 5:13 PM Glenn McKnight via Chapter-delegates 
> <chapter-delegates at elists.isoc.org> wrote:
>
>     https://broadbandbreakfast.com/internet-shutdowns-becoming-routine-for-authoritarian-regimes-panel-says/
>
>     Glenn McKnight, MA
>     Virtual School of Internet Governance
>     Chief Information Officer
>     www.virtualsig.org <http://www.virtualsig.org>
>     *YOUR SOURCE FOR INTERNET GOVERNANCE EDUCATION *
>     *Mobile  437-237-4655*
>
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> Best regards,
>
> Nkoro, N. E.,
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