African rulers' weapon against web-based dissent: the off switch

While countries in the Middle East and China employ firewalls and block virtual private networks to control web access, leaders in Africa increasingly prefer the blunter instrument of outright outages. PIctured are young startup promoters working on their computers in New Bonako village, Cameroon

DAKAR: Rapidly expanding access to the Internet across Africa is helping grassroots opposition movements take on once-invulnerable regimes. Many entrenched rulers have a simple response: pulling the plug. 

While countries in the Middle East and China employ firewalls and block virtual private networks to control web access, leaders in Africa increasingly prefer the blunter instrument of outright outages.