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Well, that’s what people in Pakistan have been experiencing every day since last February.
The founder of internet watchdog NetBlocks, Alp Toker, has been live-monitoring these incidents since 2017.
ViaProton VPN Observatory, the provider monitor VPN usage spikes to act as an alarm bell when sudden censorship takes place.
Proton confirmed three more moderate spikes in VPN sign-ups earlier this year.
It was the day that Khan’s party, PTI, launched its election fundraising telethon online.
However, the tools are helpless against total internet blackouts.
ViaProton VPN Observatory, the provider monitor VPN usage spikes to act as an alarm bell when sudden censorship takes place.
Let’s look at some data.
As mentioned, the government cut mobile networks and other internet data on February 8, 2024.
Access Now recorded seven internet blackouts in Pakistan across 2023.
“Pakistan is a habitual offender when it comes to internet shutdowns,” Narayan told me.
Nowadays, the internet is central to Pakistanis' everyday lives.
A blackout deeply harms communities' well-being at different levels.
A lack of internet prevents people from connecting with loved ones and accessing information.
Internet blackouts have a huge impact on the country’s economy, too.
Likewise, devices likegoTennacan bypass internet shutdowns as they provide off-grid connectivity via a mobile mesh networking system.
Our analysis on possibly how @X is being blocked in #Pakistan.
The methodology seems to be quite interesting and innovative.
Experts believe this might indicate an existing collaboration between authorities andCDN providers(Content Delivery internet).
However, VPNs may not be out of trouble just yet.
Bottom line
For the past eight years, life in Pakistan has meant living in digital darkness.
People have been learning to deal with online disruptions but this isn’t enough.
But, how will the present affect the future of Pakistan’s internet?
Can governments turn the internet on and off as they hey without repercussions?
Or they were a publisher of an online news site, etc.
What these people were using the internet for had nothing to do with the election.
They were all collateral damage in this decision."
