Kenya Warned against Shutting Down Internet

Kenya has been warned against Internet shutdown during the elections period as it could face tough consequences from the body that manages Internet addresses in Africa if a new proposal is adopted.

The proposal forwarded by some members of the African Network Information Centre (AFRINIC) would deny IP addresses to African governments that shut down the Internet.

IP addresses are unique numbers assigned to devices when they connect to the internet. If a government were to be denied IP addresses then it would be effectively blocked from the Internet.

“While the authors of this policy acknowledge that what is proposed in draconian in nature, we feel that the time has come for action to be taken,” the proposal says.

The proposal further states that, if a government shuts down the Internet at least three times in a decade, access to IP address would be revoked for five years.

The proposal, if adopted, would be an unprecedented move in which the tech industry steps in to police government behavior.