Keeping the Internet on during Beninâs Presidential Elections
With protests intensifying and social media interruptions reported in the weeks leading up to Beninâs presidential elections on 11 April 2021, many Internet and civil rights organizations were growing nervous about the potential for another Internet shutdown.
Internet access was cut for almost 24 hours during Beninâs legislative elections in 2019 and there has been a worrying global trend in election-related Internet shutdowns. In 2020, Access Nowâs #KeepItOn coalition documented 155 shutdowns in 29 countries, including 10 in Africa. And according to Internet Societyâs data insight tool, Pulse, there have been 98 Internet shutdowns in the past 12 months.