Report: India’s frequent Internet shutdowns hurt its most vulnerable

A youth checks his mobile phone standing on the bank of the River Ganges in Prayagraj, India. Blocking Internet access, especially on mobile phones and devices, impacts those who access programmes such as a rural jobs guarantee and government-subsidised food grains, the 82-page report released Wednesday said. — AP

India’s frequent and arbitrary internet shutdowns hurt its most impoverished, who depend on government social protection programs, according to a new report from right groups Human Rights Watch and Internet Freedom Foundation.

Blocking Internet access, especially on mobile phones and devices, impacts those who access programmes such as a rural jobs guarantee and government-subsidised food grains, the 82-page report released Wednesday said. Internet shutdowns also make it difficult for rural communities to conduct basic banking and pay utility bills.