Take the pledge to push back against internet shutdowns and help #KeepItOn!
Internet shutdowns harm everyone: journalists, demonstrators, human rights defenders, businesses, educators, and people who need emergency services. They disrupt the economy, act as an early warning mechanism for other human rights violations, and allow authorities to clamp down on citizens with impunity.
Just last year, we recorded at least 15 internet shutdowns around the world, and we’ve already seen more than 50 shutdowns in 2016. Worse, they’re increasingly being used to silence people during a critical part of the democratic process: elections.
Now, we’re bringing together voices from across the globe to push back on internet shutdowns at every level, from governments to telcos to tech companies to everyday internet users. We’re challenging service providers to fight back against government shutdown requests, highlighting the use of shutdowns during elections, and working to build consensus worldwide that people have a basic right to access information and speak freely online, at all times and in all places.
That’s where you come in. It’s going to take all of us working together to put an end to internet shutdowns. We need to spread the word about shutdowns and their negative impact on human rights. We should be ready to respond at a moment’s notice when internet shutdowns occur, when every second counts. And, most importantly, we have to build a community that can raise our voices together.
Take the pledge to show solidarity against internet shutdowns, and recruit your friends and family to do the same! Together, we can #KeepItOn.
Ready to do more? Visit our shutdown action center for next steps.
