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We'll Likely See a Rise in Internet Blackouts in 2019 (newamerica.org)
We'll likely see a rise in internet blackouts in 2019, for two reasons: countries deliberately "turning off" the internet within their borders, and hackers disrupting segments of the internet with distributed denial-of-service (DDoS) attacks. Above all, both will force policymakers everywhere to reckon with the fact that the internet itself is increasingly becoming centralized -- and therefore increasingly vulnerable to manipulation, making everyone less safe.
From a report: The first method -- states deliberately severing internet connections within their country -- has an important history. In 2004, the Maldivian government caused an internet blackout when citizens protested the president; Nepal similarly caused a blackout shortly thereafter. In 2007, the Burmese government apparently damaged an underwater internet cable in order to "staunch the flow of pictures and messages from protesters reaching the outside world." In 2011, Egypt cut most internet and cell services within its borders as the government attempted to quell protests against then-President Hosni Mubarak; Libya then did the same after its own unrest.
In 2014, Syria had a major internet outage amid its civil war. In 2018, Mauritania was taken entirely offline for two days when undersea submarine internet cables were cut, around the same time as the Sierra Leone government may have imposed an internet blackout in the same region. When we think about terms like "cyberspace" and "internet," it can be tempting to associate them with vague notions of a digital world we can't touch. And while this is perhaps useful in some contexts, this line of thinking forgets the very real wires, servers, and other hardware that form the architecture of the internet. If these physical elements cease to function, from a cut wire to a storm-damaged server farm, the internet, too, is affected. More than that, if a single entity controls -- or can at least access -- that hardware for a region or even an entire country, government-caused internet blackouts are a tempting method of censorship and social control.
In 2014, Syria had a major internet outage amid its civil war. In 2018, Mauritania was taken entirely offline for two days when undersea submarine internet cables were cut, around the same time as the Sierra Leone government may have imposed an internet blackout in the same region. When we think about terms like "cyberspace" and "internet," it can be tempting to associate them with vague notions of a digital world we can't touch. And while this is perhaps useful in some contexts, this line of thinking forgets the very real wires, servers, and other hardware that form the architecture of the internet. If these physical elements cease to function, from a cut wire to a storm-damaged server farm, the internet, too, is affected. More than that, if a single entity controls -- or can at least access -- that hardware for a region or even an entire country, government-caused internet blackouts are a tempting method of censorship and social control.
It's not going to happen in Canada, where prices are so high that companies have to be investing all those profits in upgrades and maintenance... I mean, surely they're just not pocketing the profits, right?
Anyway, I think tha -- Hey! Wait! Don't pick up the ph{#`%${%&`+'${`%&NO CARRIER
#DeleteFacebook
power grid is affected too - in on of the (still) industrial countries called Germany the grid is on the verge of collapse - every year in january and february is the same story - the windmills stand still, the sun is too low or there are clouds everywhere yet people still cook with electricity. On 12.1.2019 the frequency fell from 50 to 48.8 - there are industries where taking off the grid on order from the government to easy up temporary spike of demand or fall of production. To some it may come as a shock but there are quite some electrically powered devices between them and the pr0n server of choice.
will force policymakers everywhere to reckon with the fact that the internet itself is increasingly becoming centralized -- and therefore increasingly vulnerable to manipulation,
The big thing that policy makers have always despised about the internet is that it's decentralized. The more centralized it becomes, the happier they are! It's very hard to censor (I mean, "protect the children" or "eliminate hate speech") a decentralized internet. It's far easier to just knock on facebook's door and tell them to take something down, or to give up the identity of the poster.
Yes, because even if a site likes Facebook goes down, there are plenty of alternative mechanisms to communicate. But if a country shuts off the pipes, then there are no alternatives if they rely on the Internet.
Just because there's no Messenger or whatever doesn't mean there isn't Signal or other means to chat. But if the internet is down, then it's back to regular phone lines and such.
Not only for political reasons.
Algeria switches off the Internet during the annual high-school exams.
https://www.bbc.com/news/world...
A tangential benefit is we find out who else, like you, has no idea how technology works and, likewise, should be lurking and learning, not posting.
Oh, fuck off. You'll notice I asked the question. I didn't make a statement.
Asshole.
Beware of the Leopard.