TEXT C provides insight into censorship of the internet by governments around the world. Summarise, in your own words the political censorship of the internet. NOTE: 1. Your summary should include SEVEN points and NOT exceed 90 words 2. You must write a fluent paragraph. 3. You are NOT required to include a title for the summary 4. Indicate your word count at the end of your summary. TEXT C GOVERNMENTS GAG THE NET As the internet continues to gain considerable power and agency around the world, many governments have moved to regulate it. And where regulation faits, some states resort to internet shutdowns or de borate disruptions The justifications for such shutdowns are usually relatively predictable. Governments offan claims that internet access is blocked in the interest of public security and onder in some instances, however, their reasoning borders on the cunous if not downright absurd Whatever their reasons, governments have three general approaches to controlling citizens' access to the web. The first and probably the most serious is where the state completely blocks access to the internet on all platforms. It's arguably the most punitive. with significant social, economic and political costs. The financial costs can run into millions of dollars for each day the internet is blocked, damaging businesses. discouraging investments, and hindering economic growth. The second way that governments restrict internet access is by applying content-blocking techniques. They restrict access to particular sites or applications. This common strategy is usually targeted at social media platforms. The idea is to stop or linit conversations on these platforms. Governments argue, for example, that social media platforms encourage the spread of rumours which can trigger public unrest. The third strategy, done almost by stealth, is the use of what is generally known as 'bandwidth throttling'. In this case telecom operators or internet service providers are forced to lower the quality of their cell signals or internet speed. In most cases, the desire to control the internet is rooted in governments' determination to control the political narrative. Many see the internet as an existential threat that must be contained, no matter what consequences it will have on other sectors. The irony, however, is that as these shutdowns continue, even proliferate, there is scant evidence they actually work. Instead, they seem to animate dissent and encourage precisely the kind of responses considered subversive by many governments The future of unfettered internet access in Africa looks precarious should governments continue on this trajectory. The absence in many African countries of enforceable constitutional guarantees that profect the public's right to information means there are few opportunities for legal redress. This makes the development of legislative regimes that recognise and protect access to the internet both urgent and necessary.

Answer 1

Many governments exercise political censorship of the internet through various strategies. First, they may completely shut down access, imposing severe economic costs. Second, they often block specific websites, particularly social media, to limit public discourse. Third, governments may employ bandwidth throttling to degrade internet quality stealthily. They typically justify these actions by claiming public security needs. However, such censorship frequently triggers greater dissent rather than suppresses it. Lastly, the lack of legal protections for internet access in many regions exacerbates the issue, making legislative reform essential. (89 words)