Internews organized a panel discussion on “Internet Shutdowns and the Silencing of Dissent” held at Google’s office in Washington D.C on March 2, 2017. Our legal director, Mishi Choudhary, was among the panelists along with Arsene Tungali, Co-Founder & Executive Director of Rudi International, the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Carolina Botero, Director of Fundacion Karisma, Colombia. The session was moderated by Kat Duffy, VP of Global Technology Programs, Internews.

In 2016, internet shutdowns rose 180%. From nation-wide shutdowns in Uganda and Gambia to targeted ones in Cameroon and India, restrictions and full blackouts of internet service have become a favorite tool of autocratic and repressive regimes. Shutdowns have wide-ranging effects on everything from political speech to commerce.

Join a talk with internet freedom activists and policy experts from the frontlines of shutdown battles.

Policy advocates from India, Colombia, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo will discuss their advocacy work, the trends they are seeing, and how internet shutdowns affect the daily lives of their fellow citizens.

Here’s the video recording of the discussion.

Image credit: Caroline Madigan, via Flickr, Creative Commons