Internet Shutdowns

Officials in the Republic of Congo shut down the Internet during the 2021 general elections, having previously done so during the 2016 elections. The Internet went down just after midnight on election day, several hours before polling stations opened at 7:00 local time.

Governments worldwide shut down the Internet during general elections, often citing ‘public security’ and ‘stopping the spread of disinformation’ as the motivating factor. Keeping the Internet on during an election, however, does the opposite: it ensures transparency, that people can access information on electoral processes and candidates, that they can remain in contact with each other in case of emergencies or civil unrest, and ensures that the election process can be reported and results documented.

Shutting down the Internet for any length of time has disastrous consequences on the economy, and both businesses and individuals lose out on critical opportunities to do business.