Stand Up For Your Rights! Stand Against Internet Shutdowns!

What is happening?

Internet shutdown is a growing trend in Ethiopia. Since 2016, internet shutdowns have been imposed more than a dozen of times in major events happening in Ethiopia. But the issue of the internet shutdown did not get the attention it deserves.

Why does it matter?

Internet shutdowns are an affront to democracy, and digitalization. It also deplumes the normative values of constitutionally protected human rights and freedoms. Authorities across the world have used internet shutdowns during political crises to crack down on protests, silence critics, and to escape accountability. 

Additionally, shutdowns tarnish the integrity of elections and debilitate human rights in the digital age. Internet shutdowns also affect the survival of modern businesses depriving the country of millions of dollars. Most importantly, there is no legal ground to cause an internet shutdown in Ethiopia. 

What can you do?

Strategic Litigation: There is no legal ground to undergo Internet shutdown in Ethiopia while the rampant shutdowns narrow freedoms of expression and access to information. Civil society Organizations in Ethiopia should challenge the authorities' actions before the law.

Get involved: Join our online campaign with hashtags #KeepItOn, demanding the government always to allow accessible and affordable connectivity, and #KeepItSafe, demanding all stakeholders to keep the online space safe from privacy violations and from dangerous speech.

Stay Informed: Read our reports on the impacts of internet shutdowns on human rights and the economy from our website cardeth.org.

RIGHTS DEPLUMED: Mapping the Human Rights Impact of Internet Shutdowns in Ethiopia

BUSINESS TRAMPLED: Demystifying the Impact of Internet Shutdown on Start-up Businesses in Ethiopia