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In a concerning revelation, Pakistan has been found to violate the United Nations’ commitment to free internet access, despite pledging support for the 2021 UN resolution on human rights and the internet. A recent study conducted by cybersecurity company and VPN provider, Surfshark, exposed the discrepancy between countries’ stated positions and their subsequent implementation of internet restrictions.
Surfshark’s analysis, which compared countries’ stances with data from their Internet Shutdown Tracker, unveiled that 15 countries, including Pakistan, had voiced support for the UN Human Rights Council (HRC) Resolution but had later imposed internet restrictions, effectively breaking their word. Pakistan emerged as one of the major offenders, violating the resolution on seven separate occasions, with three incidents occurring within the past month during the arrest of former prime minister Imran Khan.
Notably, in 2022, Pakistan witnessed three instances of internet restrictions. One occurred during Khan’s organized march to the capital, while the other two coincided with live broadcasts of Khan’s speeches. Among the countries that deviated from the 2021 resolution, Pakistan ranks third in terms of the number of restrictions imposed, following Sudan and India.
Gabriele Racaityte-Krasauske, a spokesperson for Surfshark, expressed concern over the contradiction between countries publicly supporting the resolution while simultaneously imposing internet restrictions. The UN resolution aims to condemn such shutdowns and limitations on online speech, making these actions all the more disconcerting.
The countries that proclaimed their support for the 2021 UN resolution but subsequently violated it include India, Sudan, Cuba, Uzbekistan, Burkina Faso, Pakistan, Senegal, Russia, Brazil, Armenia, Indonesia, Mauritania, Nigeria, Somalia, and Ukraine.
Surfshark’s Internet Shutdown Tracker data further reveals that these 15 countries collectively experienced a total of 66 internet disruptions during or after the adoption of the resolution. India emerged as the most frequent violator, with 21 internet disruptions recorded since the resolution’s adoption in 2021. Sudan follows closely with nine restrictions, the first of which occurred amid the 2021 military coup.
While Nigeria and Ukraine had pre-existing restrictions at the time of the resolution’s adoption, they have not imposed any new limitations since then. Nigeria’s ban on Twitter, initiated a month before the resolution’s adoption, lasted until January 2022. As for Ukraine, it enforced a blockade on popular Russian apps in 2017 as part of sanctions following the annexation of Crimea, which remains in effect.
The Surfshark study sheds light on the disconcerting reality of countries reneging on their commitment to uphold internet freedom. It calls for renewed attention to the issue and underscores the importance of holding nations accountable for their actions, ensuring that the promise of a free and open internet is upheld globally.
Note: The information provided in this blog post is based on Surfshark’s research and data.
