Accessible censorship

Internet shutdowns as a tool for censorship have been growing in popularity, particularly for governments in the Global South. While it is a relatively blunt approach to addressing content online that governments deem problematic, compared with other tools for content moderation, it is relatively accessible. This chapter outlines the spectrum of approaches that fall under the umbrella of internet shutdowns and explores two of the most popular justifications in depth - shutdowns around elections in response to disinformation and to protect the integrity of the electoral process, and shutdowns in response to concerns that online speech is inciting or inflaming offline violence. We conclude by exploring the limitations of laws and policies in addressing shutdowns, as well as how and why shutdowns have become increasingly popular as a response to the challenges of implementing such laws and policies, particularly on the part of resource-poor governments, which makes shutdowns so accessible and appealing.