LONDON (AP) — When army generals in Myanmar staged a coup last week, they briefly cut internet access in an apparent attempt to stymie protests. Ugandans couldn’t access social media platforms for weeks after a recent election. Ethiopia’s Tigray region has been cut off from the internet for months. Internet shutdowns are an increasingly popular tool for repressive and authoritarian regimes and some illiberal democracies. Digital rights groups say governments use them to stifle dissent, silence opposition voices or cover up human rights abuses. One report found 93 major internet shutdowns in 21 countries last year. It’s the digital equivalent of the pre-internet seizing of control of local TV and radio stations by despots and their rivals.
