Two days before its general elections, Uganda has turned off the internet across the country.
The measure is necessary to mitigate the rapid spread of “misinformation, disinformation, electoral fraud, and related risks,” the Ugandan Communications Commission reportedly told telcos in a letter.
President Yoweri Museveni will be on the ballot for the seventh time in this election to extend his 40-year tenure.
Internet shutdowns during elections pose risks to a free and fair election, according to Access Now, a global digital rights organization.
“Around the world, governments deploy internet shutdowns to interfere with election outcomes and undermine democratic participation. This practice harms human rights,” Access Now said in a statement addressed to Museveni on January 12.
Since 2011, authorities in Uganda have periodically tightened control over the country’s digital space ahead of elections, Access Now said.
Uganda had previously ordered Elon Musk’s satellite-based internet service Starlink to be disabled in the country, calling it an illegal and unlicensed operation. Starlink has disabled all its terminals in the country as of 1 January 2016.
This shutdown follows a massive internet ban in Iran, where the government has reportedly used military-grade GPS jammers to cut satellite internet performance by as much as 80% in parts of the country.
(Rest of World)
