Fermeture d'Internet

Les autorités de l'État d'Assam ont ordonné la suspension des services Internet mobiles dans l'ensemble des 35 districts le 29 septembre 2024, entre 8h30 et 16h30 (heure locale), afin d'éviter les abus lors des examens de recrutement du gouvernement.

Les autorités de l'Odisha ont ordonné la suspension des services Internet mobiles dans les districts de Bhadrak et de Dhamnaghar pendant 48 heures à compter du 28 septembre 2024, afin d'empêcher la diffusion de messages incendiaires à la suite de troubles communautaires déclenchés par un message publié sur les médias sociaux.

Les autorités de l'État du Jharkhand ont ordonné la suspension des services Internet mobiles dans tout l'État les 21 et 22 septembre 2024, entre 8h00 et 13h30 (heure locale), afin d'éviter les malversations pendant les examens combinés du General Graduate Level Combined Competitive Examinations.

Les autorités de l'État du Jharkhand ont ordonné la suspension des services Internet mobiles dans tout l'État les 21 et 22 septembre 2024, entre 8h00 et 13h30 (heure locale), afin d'éviter les malversations pendant les examens combinés du General Graduate Level Combined Competitive Examinations.

Les autorités irakiennes ont ordonné une nouvelle suspension des services Internet le matin du 16 septembre 2024, entre 6h00 et 8h00 heure locale (+3 UTC). Cette fermeture fait suite à une annonce faite le 28 août 2024 par le ministère irakien de la communication, qui a déclaré qu'il mettrait en œuvre la demande du ministère de l'éducation d'ordonner la fermeture d'Internet les jours d'examen, dans le cadre de ses efforts pour empêcher la tricherie. Cette fermeture nationale intervient deux jours après une fermeture régionale similaire dans la région du Kurdistan. Dans une lettre ouverte au Premier ministre irakien, la coalition #KeepItOn, dont l'Internet Society est membre, a récemment exhorté les autorités à s'abstenir de mettre en œuvre des fermetures d'Internet pendant les examens. La lettre souligne le manque de preuves démontrant leur impact sur la triche aux examens, le coût économique des fermetures pour le pays et leur violation des droits de l'homme. L'Irak a ordonné plus de 40 fermetures d'Internet l'année dernière et plus de 30 depuis le début de l'année, toutes liées à des examens qui se déroulaient soit dans l'ensemble de l'Irak, soit dans la région du Kurdistan.

Assam State authorities ordered mobile Internet services to be suspended across 28 of the state's 35 districts on 15 September 2024, between 10:00 and 12:00 and 14:00 and 16:00 (local time) to avoid malpractice during the written examination for Class-III government post. Similar orders were given in August 2022 for the Class-III (21 August) and Class-IV (28 August) government post exams but were not during the last exam day on 11 September 2022. These orders come despite a petition in March 2022 to the West Bengal High Court challenging a government move to suspend internet services to control cheating in the Madhyamaik Examinations. from which the court acknowledged but stayed the order. According to a report, the court disposed the matter by saying, “The Rule of 2017 are required to be complied with and the Supreme Court has already laid down the law which is binding under Article 141 of the Constitution, hence, we express hope that while issuing any such order in future, the State authorities will duly comply with the same.” According to the Internet Freedom Foundation, this was an important judgement by the High Court because it would be useful when persuading states to follow the law on internet suspension.

Iraq authorities ordered Internet services to be suspended again on the morning of  14 September 2024, between 6:00 and 8:00 local time (+3 UTC). The shutdown follows an announcement by Iraq's Ministry of Communication on 28 August 2024 stating that they will enact the Ministry of Education's request to order Internet shutdowns on exam days as part of its efforts to prevent cheating. The national shutdown comes two days after a similar regional shutdown in the Kurdistan region. In an open letter to the Prime Minister of Iraq, the #KeepItOn coalition, which the Internet Society is a member, recently urged authorities to abstain from implementing Internet shutdowns during exams. The letter notes the lack of evidence demonstrating their impact on exam cheating, the economic cost of shutdowns on the country, and their violation of human rights. Iraq ordered more than 40 Internet shutdowns last year and more than 30 so far this year, all of which were related to exams either in wider Iraq or in the Kurdistan region.

Iraq authorities ordered Internet services to be suspended again on the morning of  12 September 2024, between 6:00 and 8:00 local time (+3 UTC). The shutdown follows an announcement by Iraq's Ministry of Communication on 28 August 2024 stating that they will enact the Ministry of Education's request to order Internet shutdowns on exam days as part of its efforts to prevent cheating. The national shutdown comes two days after a similar regional shutdown in the Kurdistan region. In an open letter to the Prime Minister of Iraq, the #KeepItOn coalition, which the Internet Society is a member, recently urged authorities to abstain from implementing Internet shutdowns during exams. The letter notes the lack of evidence demonstrating their impact on exam cheating, the economic cost of shutdowns on the country, and their violation of human rights. Iraq ordered more than 40 Internet shutdowns last year and more than 30 so far this year, all of which were related to exams either in wider Iraq or in the Kurdistan region.

Iraq authorities ordered Internet services to be suspended again on the morning of  11 September 2024, between 6:00 and 8:00 local time (+3 UTC). The shutdown follows an announcement by Iraq's Ministry of Communication on 28 August 2024 stating that they will enact the Ministry of Education's request to order Internet shutdowns on exam days as part of its efforts to prevent cheating. The national shutdown comes two days after a similar regional shutdown in the Kurdistan region. In an open letter to the Prime Minister of Iraq, the #KeepItOn coalition, which the Internet Society is a member, recently urged authorities to abstain from implementing Internet shutdowns during exams. The letter notes the lack of evidence demonstrating their impact on exam cheating, the economic cost of shutdowns on the country, and their violation of human rights. Iraq ordered more than 40 Internet shutdowns last year and more than 30 so far this year, all of which were related to exams either in wider Iraq or in the Kurdistan region.

Manipur authorities order Internet services to be suspended across the state’s five valley districts—Imphal West, Imphal East, Thoubal, Bishnupur and Kakching Districts—following clashes between students and local security forces during a march. Manipur, a state of 3.7 million people, has been embroiled in ethnic clashes and subsequent Internet shutdowns since May 2023. One report notes that the Manipur government partially lifted the ban on Internet services on 14 September, allowing broadband services to reduce "hardships faced by citizens". The restoration of broadband services, however, is subject to stringent conditions to ensure security and prevent misuse: Internet connections will be provided only through static IP, and subscribers are prohibited from using any other connection type. Subscribers are barred from creating Wi-Fi networks or hotspots from their routers or systems. Media Access Control (MAC) binding at the system or router level must be enforced, and social media websites and VPNs will be blocked at the local level. Subscribers must remove any existing VPN software from their systems and are prohibited from installing new ones. There will be physical monitoring to check for any violations of these conditions, and subscribers must change login IDs and passwords daily. Internet shutdowns during protests or civil unrest impact the ability of citizens to get accurate information from government sources when they need it most. It also becomes harder for citizens to contact family members and friends in other parts of the country, or in other countries.