Sunday, August 7, 2022
  • Contact Us
The Caribbean Post
Advertisement
  • Current News
    • Politics
    • Business
  • Tech News
  • Education
  • Entertainment
    • Travel
    • Lifestyle
  • Health
    • Recipes
  • World
    • Antigua
    • Aruba
    • Barbados
    • Barbuda
    • Dominica
    • Dominican Republic
    • Guadeloupe
    • Guyana
    • Haiti
    • Jamaica
    • St Lucia
    • Suriname
    • Tobago
    • Trinidad
No Result
View All Result
The Caribbean Post
  • Current News
    • Politics
    • Business
  • Tech News
  • Education
  • Entertainment
    • Travel
    • Lifestyle
  • Health
    • Recipes
  • World
    • Antigua
    • Aruba
    • Barbados
    • Barbuda
    • Dominica
    • Dominican Republic
    • Guadeloupe
    • Guyana
    • Haiti
    • Jamaica
    • St Lucia
    • Suriname
    • Tobago
    • Trinidad
No Result
View All Result
The Caribbean Post
No Result
View All Result
Home Education

Internet shutdowns impact human rights, economy, and day to day life

Staff by Staff
June 25, 2022
in Education
0
2
SHARES
12
VIEWS
Share on FacebookShare on Twitter

You might also like

Professor Sir Hilary Beckles elected to the Council of the Association of Commonwealth Universities

Universities in Argentina and Chile receive the Uniservitate Award

The UWI hosts Vice-Chancellor’s Forum to examine transforming education in the Caribbean

UN NEWS—The dramatic real-life effects of shutdowns of the internet on people’s lives and human rights are vastly underestimated, the UN human rights office warns in a report released on Thursday.

When major communication channels and networks are slowed down or blocked, this means thousands, even millions of people are deprived of their only means of reaching loved ones, medical assistance, of working, or participating in political debates or decisions, the report highlights.

Alarm bells

“When you see a shutdown happen, it’s time to start worrying about human rights”, said Peggy Hicks, Director of the Thematic Engagement, Special Procedures and Right to Development Division, at the UN human rights office (OHCHR).

Speaking at a press conference at the UN in Geneva on Thursday morning, Ms. Hicks explained shutdowns deepen digital divides between and within countries and “are happening in places where there are deteriorating human rights situations”.

At a time when substantial development aid is directed towards enhancing connectivity in less developed countries, some of the beneficiaries of that assistance are themselves deepening the digital divide through shutdowns.

Oppressive shutdowns

“At least 27 of the 46 least developed countries have implemented shutdowns between 2016 and 2021, despite receiving support to increase their Internet connectivity” stressed Ms. Hicks.

The first major internet shutdown took place in Egypt in 2011, during the Tahrir Square protests that led to hundreds of arrests and killings.

Shutdowns can mean a complete block on Internet connectivity, but governments also increasingly ban access to major communication platforms and limit bandwidth and mobile services to 2G transfer speeds, making it difficult to share and watch videos or live picture broadcasts.

In denial

Many States refuse to acknowledge interfering in communications or putting pressure on telecom companies to prevent them from sharing information.

The official justification for the shutdowns was unknown in 228 cases reported by civil society across 55 countries.

When authorities do recognize having ordered disruptions, justifications often point to public safety, containing the spread of hostility or violence, or combatting disinformation.

Yet, shutdowns often achieve the exact opposite. According to Peggy Hicks “199 Shutdowns were justified by public safety concerns, and 150 were based on national security grounds. But many of those shutdowns were followed by spikes in violence.”

Time to end shutdowns

When a State shuts down the internet, both people and economies suffer. The costs to jobs, education, healthcare, and political participation virtually always exceed any hoped-for benefit.

Tim Engelhardt, Human Rights Officer, reported examples of how hospitals, unable to contact their doctors in cases of emergency, “installed loudspeakers on the hospitals to call them.”

The report urges States to refrain from imposing shutdowns, to maximize Internet access and remove the multiple obstacles to communication. The report also encourages companies to share information on disruptions and ensure that they take all possible lawful measures to prevent shutdowns they have been asked to implement.

“We call on States to stop doing this, stop imposing shutdowns. Based on our research, shutdowns are simply never the best answer,” stressed Ms. Hicks. “Their costs are simply too great to economies, to democracy, and to people’s day to day lives”.

Credit: Source link

Tags: dayeconomyhumanImpactInternetLiferightsshutdowns
Previous Post

America’s new sprint queen Jefferson ready to face Jamaica’s dynamic duo

Next Post

Wireless Network Security Market Size & Revenue Analysis

Staff

Staff

Related Posts

Education

Professor Sir Hilary Beckles elected to the Council of the Association of Commonwealth Universities

by Staff
July 31, 2022
Education

Universities in Argentina and Chile receive the Uniservitate Award

by Staff
July 27, 2022
Education

The UWI hosts Vice-Chancellor’s Forum to examine transforming education in the Caribbean

by Staff
July 19, 2022
Education

Experts call for “better-built” schools in the Caribbean

by Staff
July 3, 2022
Education

222 million crisis-hit children currently require educational support

by Staff
June 23, 2022
Next Post

Wireless Network Security Market Size & Revenue Analysis

Recommended

Martinique to enter new Covid lockdown, curfew for Guadeloupe

July 30, 2021

Bangladesh clinch ODI series from Windies after 9-wicket win

July 14, 2022

Categories

  • Business (135)
  • Current News (68)
  • Education (14)
  • Entertainment (46)
    • Lifestyle (20)
    • Travel (8)
  • Health (71)
    • Recipes (50)
  • Politics (17)
  • Tech News (11)
  • World (980)
    • Antigua (28)
    • Aruba (30)
    • Barbados (28)
    • Barbuda (28)
    • Dominica (29)
    • Dominican Republic (29)
    • Guadeloupe (174)
    • Guyana (173)
    • Haiti (28)
    • Jamaica (28)
    • St Lucia (27)
    • Suriname (28)
    • Tobago (174)
    • Trinidad (175)

Don't miss it

Business

Microsoft becomes Cicada Innovation’s first ‘constellation partner’ at the National Space Industry Hub

August 6, 2022
Tobago

Richards defends 200m crown at Commonwealth Games

August 6, 2022
Guyana

Amazon expert to certify Guyanese for tech jobs – President – Demerara Waves Online News- Guyana

August 6, 2022
Trinidad

Gold for Richards in 200m, breaks Commonwealth record

August 6, 2022
Guyana

Commmonwealth Games: Guyana in men’s 100m relay final

August 6, 2022
Tobago

Caribbean Creators: Yuma’s Tanya Gomes

August 6, 2022
The Caribbean Post

This is an online news portal that aims to share latest news about Africa, Caribbean and other countries of Africa with respect to business, entertainment, breaking updates and stuff like that. Feel free to get in touch!

Categories

  • Business
  • Current News
  • Education
  • Entertainment
    • Lifestyle
    • Travel
  • Health
    • Recipes
  • Politics
  • Tech News
  • World
    • Antigua
    • Aruba
    • Barbados
    • Barbuda
    • Dominica
    • Dominican Republic
    • Guadeloupe
    • Guyana
    • Haiti
    • Jamaica
    • St Lucia
    • Suriname
    • Tobago
    • Trinidad

Browse by Tag

Antigua Aruba Barbados Barbuda Bites Caribbean cases Concacaf COVID COVID19 Dominica Dominican food France French Games global Guadeloupe Guyana Haiti Immaculate Jamaica Local Lucia man Market Minister National News oil police Republic Room Suriname team Tobago Tobagos trade Trinidad Watch weather West win women World

Recent News

Microsoft becomes Cicada Innovation’s first ‘constellation partner’ at the National Space Industry Hub

August 6, 2022

Richards defends 200m crown at Commonwealth Games

August 6, 2022

Amazon expert to certify Guyanese for tech jobs – President – Demerara Waves Online News- Guyana

August 6, 2022

Gold for Richards in 200m, breaks Commonwealth record

August 6, 2022

2022© Design by CodingBite | Powered by LuxamaMedia.

No Result
View All Result
  • Current News
    • Politics
    • Business
  • Tech News
  • Education
  • Entertainment
    • Travel
    • Lifestyle
  • Health
    • Recipes
  • World
    • Antigua
    • Aruba
    • Barbados
    • Barbuda
    • Dominica
    • Dominican Republic
    • Guadeloupe
    • Guyana
    • Haiti
    • Jamaica
    • St Lucia
    • Suriname
    • Tobago
    • Trinidad

2022© Design by CodingBite | Powered by LuxamaMedia.