India has seen some 40 cases of state-sponsored internet shutdown since 2015. Of these, nine instances came in the first few months of this year — with Kashmir being the most (in)famous example. In 2014, J&K blocked ICT services four times (including on Republic Day and Independence Day), and Gujarat once, following communal violence.
Such blockades, generally aimed at restricting harmful mass communication, turn out to be counter-productive, impacting economic growth and threatening social stability. A recent study from US-based Brookings Institute says internet shutdowns cost countries $2.4 billion last year. India tops the list of countries that suffer from this malaise. It lost $968 million from internet shutdowns, followed by Saudi Arabia ($465 million), Morocco ($320 million), Iraq ($209 million), the Republic of the Congo ($72 million), Pakistan ($69 million), Syria ($48 million) and Turkey ($35 million). Last February, India shut down mobile internet services in Rohtak following demonstrations in Rohtak and Jhajjar. This lasted over a week and cost $190 million.
Countries that top the Brookings list suffer from some form of internal strife or political instability. India, on the contrary, boasts of stable governance and a throbbing economy that is increasingly powered by new technologies, especially the internet. India’s GDP crossed $2 trillion in 2014 and, as a report recently suggested, it could go up by an extra $1 trillion by 2020 if all citizens have access to the web. In such a scenario, state-sponsored internet shutdowns are an alarming trend.
Also, experts say blocking ICT channels hardly prevents dissemination of harmful information. In most cases, deep-rooted prejudices take over. Shutting down the web, on the contrary, handicaps the administration while employing corrective measures. Blockading data can cause a dent in people’s ability to access healthcare, education and other forms of information. Internet shutdowns set a very bad precedent, and are best nipped in the bud.
Jinoy Jose P Deputy Editor