Internet Influence & Election Interference

Internet speed reduction and Social media Restriction:

Authorities can reduce internet speed and block access to social media in a country through various technical and regulatory measures. The recent event in Mauritius saw the shut down of social media during elections. The authorities planned to disable social media for 1 week during the present election, but have now re-thought the situation and decided to lift the ban.

Here are some common methods of what authorities can do:

Throttling Internet Speeds

Network Management:

Internet Service Providers (ISPs) can be instructed to deliberately slow down internet traffic for specific services or during peak usage times. This can be done by limiting bandwidth for certain types of data packets or by prioritizing other types of traffic.

Traffic Shaping:

ISPs may use traffic shaping techniques to manage data flow and prioritize certain types of traffic over others, intentionally limiting the speed of social media platforms.

Blocking Access to Websites:

DNS Blocking: Authorities can instruct ISPs to block access to specific domain names by altering DNS resolutions so that requests for social media sites fail.

IP Blocking: Directly blocking IP addresses associated with social media platforms can prevent users from accessing these services.

URL Filtering: ISPs can implement filtering that prevents access to specific URLs or content hosted on social media sites.

Legal and Regulatory Measures:

Laws and Regulations: Governments can enact laws that require ISPs to comply with directives to limit or block internet access to certain platforms.

Licensing and Compliance: Authorities can threaten to revoke ISPs' licenses if they do not comply with requests to implement speed reductions or blocks.

Shutting Down Infrastructure:

In extreme cases, authorities can request or order a complete shutdown of internet services in certain areas or nationwide through control of telecommunications infrastructure.

Use of Firewalls:

Implementing national firewalls can help block access to unwanted content, including social media sites, by intercepting and analyzing web traffic.

Monitoring and Enforcement:

Authorities may deploy monitoring systems that track online activities and enforce adherence to internet speed regulations.

Deep Packet Inspection (DPI):

ISPs may use DPI to analyze and shape traffic according to predefined rules, which can include throttling data packets associated with social media.

Virtual Private Network (VPN) Restrictions:

Blocking or limiting the use of VPNs can prevent users from circumventing local internet restrictions.

These actions are often justified by governments under the guise of maintaining public order, national security, or compliance with local laws. However, such measures can also lead to significant backlash from the public and international communities regarding censorship and violations of free speech. We have seen how much power social media has over elections that can be seen as a threat to the outcome of any election.

Author: Balram Dyal