"Internet Shutdowns: Here\u2019s how governments do it"

" Internet Shutdowns: Here\u2019s how governments do it \r\n\r\nSenegal\u2019s government has shut down internet access in response to\u00a0 protests about the sentencing of opposition leader Ousmane Sonko . This is a\u00a0 tactic \u00a0governments are increasingly using during times of political contention, such as elections or social upheaval. The shutdowns can be partial or total, temporary or prolonged. They may target specific platforms, regions, or an entire country.\r\n\r\nI\u2019m a researcher who investigates the\u00a0 causes \u00a0and\u00a0 consequences \u00a0of internet access disruptions and censorship in various African countries. This includes understanding how shutdowns work.\r\n\r\nIt\u2019s important to understand the complex technicalities behind internet shutdowns, for at least two reasons.\r\n\r\nFirst, understanding how an internet shutdown works shows whether or how it can be circumvented. This makes it possible to support affected communities.\r\n\r\nSecond, the way a shutdown works shows who is responsible for doing it. Then the responsible actors can be held to account, both legally and ethically.\r\n\r\nDifferent forms of shutdowns require different levels of technical sophistication. More sophisticated forms are harder to detect and attribute.\r\n\r\nThere are two common strategies governments use to disrupt internet access:\u00a0 routing disruptions and packet filtering .\r\n\r\n How to shut down the internet \r\n\r\n Routing disruptions \r\n\r\nEvery device connected to the internet, whether it\u2019s your computer, smartphone, or any other device, has an IP (internet protocol) address assigned to it. This allows it to send and receive data across the network.\r\n\r\nAn autonomous system is a collection of connected IP networks under the control of a single entity, for instance an internet service provider or big company.\r\n\r\nThese autonomous systems rely on protocols \u2013 called border gateway protocols \u2013 to coordinate routing between them. Each system uses the protocol to communicate with other systems and exchange information about which internet routes they can use to reach different destinations (websites, servers, services etc).\r\n\r\nSo, if an autonomous system, like an internet service provider, suddenly withdraws its border gateway protocol routes from the internet, the block of IP addresses they administer disappears from the routing tables. This means they can no longer be reached by other autonomous systems.\r\n\r\nAs a consequence, customers using IP addresses from that autonomous system can\u2019t connect to the internet.\r\n\r\nEssentially this tactic stops information from being transmitted. Information can\u2019t find its destination, and people using the internet will not be able to connect.\r\n\r\nThe disruption of border gateway protocols can easily be detected from the outside due to changes in the global routing state. They can also be attributed to the internet service provider administering a certain autonomous system.\r\n\r\nFor instance, data suggests that the infamous\u00a0 internet shutdown in Egypt in 2011 \u00a0\u2013 an unprecedented blackout of internet traffic in the entire country \u2013 was the result of tampering with border gateway protocols. It could be\u00a0 traced back to individual autonomous systems \u00a0and hence internet service providers.\r\n\r\nBorder gateway protocol disruptions that entirely disconnect customers from the internet are rare. These disruptions can easily be detected by outside observers and traced back to individual organisations or service providers. In addition, shutting down entire networks is the most indiscriminate form of an internet shutdown and can\u00a0 cause significant collateral damage \u00a0to a country\u2019s economy.\r\n\r\n Packet filtering \r\n\r\nTo target specific content, governments often use packet filtering \u2013 shutting down only parts of the internet.\r\n\r\nGovernments can use packet filtering techniques to block or disrupt specific content or services. For instance, internet service providers can block access to specific IP addresses associated with websites or services they wish to restrict, such as 15.197.206.217 associated with the social media platform WhatsApp.\r\n\r\nGovernments also increasingly use\u00a0 deep packet inspection \u00a0technology as a tool to filter and block specific content. It\u2019s commonly used for surveillance. Deep packet inspection infrastructure enables the inspection of data packets and hence the content of communication. It\u2019s a more tailored approach to blocking content and makes circumvention more difficult.\r\n\r\nIn\u00a0 Senegal , internet service providers likely used deep packet inspection to block access to WhatsApp, Telegram, Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and YouTube.\r\n\r\nWhen internet shutdowns are done through packet filtering, only individuals within the affected network are able to detect the shutdown. Therefore,\u00a0 active probing \u00a0is required to detect the shutdown. This is a technique that\u2019s used by cybersecurity researchers and civil society actors to study the extent and methods of internet censorship in different regions.\r\n\r\n Violation of rights \r\n\r\nThough the two most common strategies are\u00a0 routing disruptions and packet filtering , there are many other tools governments can use. For instance,\u00a0 domain name system manipulation ,\u00a0 denial of service attacks , or the blunt sabotage of physical infrastructure. A\u00a0 detailed overview \u00a0of techniques is provided by Access Now, an NGO defending digital civil rights of people around the world.\r\n\r\nThere is wide agreement that internet shutdowns are a violation of fundamental rights such as freedom of expression. However, governments are developing increasingly sophisticated means to block or restrict access to the internet. It\u2019s therefore important to closely monitor the ways in which internet shutdowns are being implemented. This will help to provide circumvention strategies and hold the implementers to account."

"Internet Shutdowns: Here\u2019s how governments do it"

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