Shutting down the shutdown

• Panel/Session/Workshop title: “Shutting down the shutdown: mainstreaming proactive civil society responses to internet disruptions”

• Facilitors: Jared Ford (Director for Technology & Democracy, IRI)

• Presenters: Sarah Moulton (Depuity Director, Democracy and Technology, National Democratic Institute), James Marchant (OTF), Laura Schwartz-Henderson (Advocacy and Research Advisor, Internews), Krizia Delgado (Government Affairs and Public Policy Manager, Google)

The session titled  "Shutting down the shutdown: mainstreaming proactive civil society responses to internet disruptions" was dedicated to bridging the gaps that exist in the democracy, rights, and governance (DRG) space when it comes to proactively addressing internet freedom. The panelists emphasized the need to address internet shutdowns, various organizations and tools working towards this goal. The deliberate disinvestment in infrastructure by certain governments was acknowledged as a contributing factor to internet shutdowns.

Google Jigsaw discussed their focus on censorship, measurement, and circumvention. The team developed an open-source VPN called OUTLINE, available at getoutline.org, which aids in overcoming internet censorship.

NDI highlighted the trend of democratic backsliding and emphasized the need to enhance the resilience of partners through digital security skills. Of particular concern is the approaching major electoral event in the US in 2024.

Access Now discussed their #KeepItOn initiative, a global risk and needs assessment engaging with individuals in countries at risk to better understand their specific needs and capacities around internet shutdowns. Based on the assessment, funds were allocated to two partners from each country to implement necessary measures. Research efforts were collaborative, involving surveys with journalists, CSOs, and other stakeholders. Follow-up workshops were conducted to share initial findings and discuss the allocation of available funds.

The session also addressed the technological resources that CSO members should have on hand. These included circumvention tools like OUTLINE, serverless intra-network communication to combat DNS attacks, and Project Shield, a free service for CSOs to prevent DDoS attacks.

The research revealed that individuals who considered themselves experts had never experienced an internet shutdown, while those who had experienced one were less likely to consider themselves experts. The lack of media coverage in Tanzania hindered awareness, even among journalists. In Bangladesh, proactive measures were taken by working with election monitors to collect data.

Inspiring Ideas:

The speakers emphasized the importance of community-level preparation and training additional trainers ahead of time not just during or after an emergency. In addition, they highlighted a need for documentation in local languages.