Governments blew $2.4 billion in a year shutting off the internet—and WhatsApp, and Facebook Messenger—to control their citizens — Quartz
▻http://qz.com/802340/governments-blew-2-4-billion-in-a-year-shutting-off-the-internet-and-whatsapp-an
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As governments around the world increasingly adopt the tactic of shutting down electronic communications to limit political disruption or simply control citizens, they are costing their economies dear.
Some 81 state-ordered shutdowns of some or all electronic communication in 19 countries over the past year led to $2.4 billion in lost economic production, according to a new estimate from Darrell West of the Brookings Institution.
(...) The countries most affected? India, accounting for $968 million in lost output; Saudi Arabia, with $465 million; and Morocco, with a loss of $320 million. Most of these shutdowns weren’t related to civil strife.
India joined a number of countries—including Uganda, Algeria, and Iraq—in shutting off internet service during school exam periods to deter cheating. To keep students honest, India imposed a ban from 9am to 1pm in certain areas.
In Saudi Arabia and Morocco, the shutdowns stem from crony capitalism.
