Shutdowns as Protest Suppression Tool

Long, nationwide internet blackouts (170+ hours here) are being deployed as an explicit tool to suppress mass protests, not merely as collateral emergency measures. They cut 1) civic coordination, 2) independent reporting, and 3) diaspora mobilization, while causing quantifiable economic disruption across payments, logistics and information markets. — Prolonged national blackouts are a strategic lever that reshapes human‑rights, economic resilience, and international response options, creating a policy problem that intersects censorship, sanctions, and digital infrastructure policy.