The documentary ‘Citzens Offline’ by our EDP member Tina Freyburg of the University of St. Gallen and two of her colleagues, Veronique Wavre and Lisa Garbe, is nominated for the Golden Impala Award at the Amakula International Film Festival in Uganda on March 15th, where it will also be screened.
Dealing with the question “Who is behind internet shutdowns?” and explaining the role of telecom companies in politically motivated disruptions of the internet ordered by the state government, the short documentary illuminates the example of the 2016 shutdown during elections in Uganda.
The project – supported by the Swiss National Fund for International Studies and the Basic Research fund (GFF) from University of St. Gallen engages the finding that governments typically do not directly restrict internet access but order telecom operators to cut access to particular services or entire (sub-)networks. In times where fears spread that access to the internet will be disrupted on polling day during many of the upcoming African elections this year, the documentary thus addresses an extremely topical problem.
To watch the trailer of the documentary please click here.