Mobile net shutdown slows dissemination of visuals from central Delhi protest
Authorities implemented a mobile internet shutdown in Central Delhi during a protest, preventing the dissemination of visuals and information. Civil society groups have condemned the move as a disproportionate measure that violates fundamental rights and lacks transparency.
Why it matters
The incident raises critical questions about the balance between state security measures and the constitutional right to freedom of speech and information.
In the first widespread communications blackout in Delhi since the farmers’ agitation in 2021, mobile internet was switched off throughout Central Delhi, even as demonstrators poured into Jantar Mantar and security forces were dispersing them with force. The shutdown impeded the flow of visuals from the area, including by media at the scene. Protesters and journalists alike resorted to nearby establishments’ WiFi hotspots.
Mobile internet shutdowns are an extraordinary step in controlling unrest and are overall on the decline in the last two years. The government’s decision to shut down mobile internet till the evening drew condemnation from the Internet Freedom Foundation (IFF) and the Software Freedom Law Centre, India (SFLC).
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