300m Africans denied internet access in 2022 – report

THE ICIR

AFRICAN governments denied about 300 million people internet access in 2022, according to a study by Surfshark, a privacy protection toolset.

The study said while 4.2 billion people were affected by internet censorship globally, “nearly a third of a billion Africans were denied internet access” in the year under review.

Out of 32 countries that experienced 112 cases of internet disruptions, five African countries – Sudan, Burkina Faso, Zimbabwe, Siera Leone and Somalia – were listed as having banned internet 13 times in 2022.

Africa ranked second, with Asia recording the worst cases of internet disruptions.

Protests and political turmoil were identified as the leading causes of internet restrictions by the authoritarian governments.

“More than half of the world’s population was affected by internet censorship last year. Many of these cases involved full internet disruptions on a local or national level.

“These can be devastating and extremely dangerous especially during wartime, protests or violent government repressions, said Surfshark’s spokeswoman, Gabriele Recaityte-Krasauke…