A proposed anti-shutdown policy could see African governments that prohibit free and open internet access face severe repercussions, according to a Quartz Africa report.

The proposal, which was presented to the regional internet registry and will be discussed during public policy meetings held in Nairobi next month, will effectively ensure that offending African governments and any of their related bodies will not be allocated an IP address for a one-year period.

The ban would also affect any transfer of addresses to government-owned entities in those 12 months. And if an African government performs three or more shutdowns during a period of 10 years, the proposition mandates that all services provided to them be revoked, with no allocations offered for at least five years.

The policy proposal is in response to persistent shutdowns that have occurred across the continent over the past few years. In 2016 alone, 11 African countries – including Algeria, Ethiopia, Gabon and the Gambia – shut down the internet.

25 April 2017
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