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WASHINGTON — Amid widespread protests in Kenya this summer over a controversial finance bill, the country’s Communications Authority announced it did not intend to shut down internet access. The next day, however, Kenya experienced a countrywide loss in internet connectivity. 

The main internet service providers said the outage on June 25 was caused by an issue with undersea cables. But the incident caught the attention of digital rights groups, who said the timing of the outage “strongly suggests” an intentional action. Various governments have used such shutdowns to maintain control, these groups say. 

Many governments justify the shutdowns as moves to promote public order and safety, Nompilo Simanje, Africa advocacy and partnerships lead at the International Press Institute, told VOA. 

“The key reasons really are to restrict communication, restrict free expression, restrict online mobilization, restrict online freedom of assembly and association, and also restrict access to information,” she said. 

Access ‘could be about life and death’

Digital watchdogs have documented several cases across the African continent in recent months where access to the internet or social media was blocked or cut off at crucial moments. It isn’t always clear if the cases are the result of a direct order, but the timing often suggests it is, analysts say. 

Within the past year, digital rights group Access Now has documented shutdowns in Kenya, Mozambique, Tanzania, Mauritius and Equatorial Guinea. Nearly all take place alongside events such as protests or elections. 

But these shutdowns can be harmful to the country’s residents, Felicia Anthonio, campaign manager at Access Now, told VOA. 

“It not only disrupts the flow of information, it also makes it impossible for people to access information in a timely manner,” Anthonio said. “When we are talking about crisis situations, information can be like a lifeline, and so, disrupting access could be about life and death in conflict situations.”  

Governments that restrict internet access in one instance are likely to do so again, Anthonio said. 

Before the June incident in Kenya, access to the messaging app Telegram was blocked in November 2023 during national examinations. At the time, the move was presented as a way to prevent cheating during exams.  

Access to Telegram was stifled again last month during national examinations, which lasted over three weeks and extended into the week after examinations finished, according to James Wamathai, advocacy director for the Bloggers Association of Kenya.  

“It was really a huge inconvenience,” Wamathai, who lives in the capital, Nairobi, told VOA.  

Local media reported that Kenya’s Communications Authority had ordered the block to prevent cheating. 

Many people were unable to contact friends or relatives who lived in countries that had banned WhatsApp.  

Kenyans do not have a lot of experience with internet shutdowns, Wamathai told VOA, and many residents do not know how to install workarounds like virtual private networks or VPNs. The current government under President William Ruto is the first to enact such restrictions, he said.  

Kenya is a part of the Freedom Online Coalition, a group of 42 countries that advocate for online freedom around the world. Anthonio said it is “depressing and sad” to see a member of the coalition engage in such practices. 

The Kenyan Embassy in Washington did not respond to a request for comment.  

Anthonio said democratic and repressive regimes alike have enforced restrictions similar to those experienced in Kenya. 

“It’s really hard to tell what the motivation is, aside from the fact that the government just wants to exert control to show that they are in authority and can restrict people’s rights when they please,” Anthonio said. 

Mauritius for example, planned to impose an internet shutdown for 10 days ahead of its November election.  

Authorities said the block was an effort to control illegal publications that may “threaten national security and public safety,” Anthonio said. She added that this rationale is just “jargon” that governments use to justify shutdowns.  

The shutdown in Mauritius came as a direct order from the government. After protests from media and opposition parties, the ban was lifted after 24 hours. 

The ban was troubling to rights groups. Simanje of IPI said Mauritius “has generally had a very good track record of internet access, online safety and promotion of digital rights.”  

Periodic outages

Other African countries have experienced shutdowns on several occasions.  

In Tanzania, Access Now has documented several internet and social media outages or blocks. Access to the social media platform X was blocked in late August, around the same time that online activists began a campaign highlighting murders, kidnappings and disappearances within the country. This suggested the block was an official order, Access Now reported at the time. 

Tanzania’s embassy in Washington refutes that claim.  

“We would like to assure you that this information is false,” a spokesperson told VOA via email. 

In July and August, the island of Annobon in Equatorial Guinea experienced a total internet shutdown, leaving its residents “completely cut off from the world,” according to Access Now. This came as a response to protests against the deterioration of the country’s environment due to mining activities, Anthonio said. 

Similarly in late October, Mozambique experienced internet connectivity problems after national election results were announced. These shutdowns took place in the middle of violent protests against the reelection of the party in power, which left at least 11 people dead, according to a report by Al Jazeera. 

The Equatorial Guinea, Mozambique and Mauritius embassies in Washington did not respond to VOA’s requests for comment.    
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WASHINGTON — U.S. government agencies held a classified briefing for all senators on Wednesday on China’s alleged efforts known as Salt Typhoon to burrow deep into American telecommunications companies and steal data about U.S. calls. 

The FBI, Director of National Intelligence Avril Haines, Federal Communications Commission Chair Jessica Rosenworcel, the National Security Council and the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency were among the participants in the closed-door briefing, officials told Reuters.  

Democratic Senator Ron Wyden told reporters after the briefing he was working to draft legislation on this issue, while Senator Bob Casey said he had “great concern” about the breach and added it may not be until next year before Congress can address the issue. 

Republican Senator Rick Scott expressed frustration with the briefing. 

“They have not told us why they didn’t catch it; what they could have done to prevent it,” he said. 

Chinese officials have previously described the allegations as disinformation and said Beijing “firmly opposes and combats cyberattacks and cyber theft in all forms.” 

Separately, a Senate Commerce subcommittee will hold a December 11 hearing on Salt Typhoon and how “security threats pose risks to our communications networks and review best practices.” The hearing will include Competitive Carriers Association CEO Tim Donovan. 

There is growing concern about the size and scope of the reported Chinese hacking into U.S. telecommunications networks and questions about when companies and the government can assure Americans over the matter. 

A U.S. official told reporters a large number of Americans’ metadata has been stolen in the sweeping cyber espionage campaign, adding that dozens of companies across the world had been hit by the hackers, including at least eight telecommunications and telecom infrastructure firms in the United States. 

“The extent and depth and breadth of Chinese hacking is absolutely mind-boggling — that we would permit as much as has happened in just the last year is terrifying,” Senator Richard Blumenthal said. 

Incoming FCC Chair Brendan Carr said Wednesday he will work “with national security agencies through the transition and next year in an effort to root out the threat and secure our networks.” 

U.S. officials have previously alleged the hackers targeted Verizon, AT&T, T-Mobile, Lumen and others and stole phone audio intercepts along with a large tranche of call record data. 

T-Mobile said it does not believe hackers got access to its customer information. Lumen said there is no evidence customer data was accessed on its network. 

Verizon CEO Hans Vestberg, AT&T CEO John Stankey, Lumen CEO Kate Johnson and T-Mobile took part in a November 22 White House meeting on the issue.  

Verizon said “several weeks ago, we became aware that a highly sophisticated, nation-state actor accessed several of the nation’s telecom company networks, including Verizon” adding the incident was focused on a very small subset of individuals in government and politics. 

AT&T said it is “working in close coordination with federal law enforcement, industry peers and cyber security experts to identify and remediate any impact on our networks.” 

CISA told reporters on Tuesday that it could not offer a timetable for ridding America’s telecom networks of all hackers. 

“It would be impossible for us to predict when we’ll have full eviction,” CISA official Jeff Greene said.
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Australia’s competition watchdog said there was a need to revisit efforts to ensure greater choice for internet users, citing Google’s dominant search engine market share and its competitors’ failure to capitalize on the artificial intelligence boom.

A report by the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission said that while the integration of generative AI tools into search engines is still nascent, Big Tech’s deep pockets and dominant presence give it an upper hand.

The commission said it was concerned Google and Microsoft could integrate generative AI into their search offerings, including through commercial deals, which raises concerns about the accuracy and reliability of search queries.

“While some consumers may find the generative AI search experience more useful and efficient, others may be concerned about the accuracy and reliability of AI-generated responses to search queries,” Commissioner Peter Crone said.

Google and Microsoft did not immediately respond to Reuters requests for comment.

Australia has intensified the spotlight on the tech giants, which are mostly domiciled in the U.S. It was the first country to make social media platforms pay media outlets royalties for sharing their content.

Last month, it passed a law that banned social media for children aged under 16, and proposed a law earlier this week that could impose fines of up to $32.28 million on tech giants if they suppress competition and prevent consumers from switching between services.

The Australian watchdog on Wednesday urged the use of service-specific codes that help prevent anti-competitive behavior, address data advantages and allow consumers to switch between services freely.

These proposed measures have been agreed to in principle by the government, ACCC said, and it will close its enquiry by next March.
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In Kenya, tech entrepreneurs who had trouble accessing resources as simple as an internet connection are getting an assist from American libraries. The U.S. Embassy in Kenya is now operating six tech hubs, the newest of which opened in Nairobi last month. Victoria Amunga reports. Camera: Jimmy Makhulo
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