It is probably obvious to even the casual observer that modern warfare, both at home and abroad, is changing dramatically. Scenes from this summer's synchronized fleet of Ukrainian drones The descent of Russian warplanes onto the battlefield highlights how far we have moved from classic artillery and infantry operations. Not only the methods change, but also increasingly the goals. Next will be covert, remote hacking attacks, enhanced by artificial intelligence and targeted (or misguided) munitions, that sever broadband lines and burn internet infrastructure. And as the development of data centers and the spread of the Internet continue to rapidly accelerate around the world, this shift should concern us all, because the main victims of the new age's digital warfare will be huge civilian populations, and the casualties will be catastrophic.
One only needs to look at the Gaza Strip to understand how devastating these violations can be. According to a report from Access NowSince the Israeli attack on Gaza began in October 2023, there have been at least 27 complete or partial shutdowns of the Internet and telecommunications. The last shutdown occurred in September this yearpreceded the Israeli ground invasion with tanks and infantry.
Whether intentional sabotage or negligence, these actions significantly hampered emergency response and the coordination and provision of services and resources, including food and water. for the siege of Kazan.
Concerns about attacks via or against the Internet are not limited to areas of active conflict. Seventy-five percent of Americans concerned about the security of the country's Internet infrastructureand it's not hard to see why. In the roughly two decades that the Internet has been more or less ubiquitous in the United States, the technology has gone from a novelty to a critical role in how we do our jobs, communicate, manage our finances, and stay informed.
For most of us, the thought of the Internet going off causes mild panic, plunging us into a state akin to temporarily losing one of our senses. But compare that to people in countries facing a new era of cyberattacks and attacks on internet infrastructure, where internet outages are a constant reality. Civilian life, if not the goal, is often one of the collateral damages.
Somewhere about 5.5 billion people, approximately 68% of the world's population, now use the Internet. This is more than double what it was just ten years ago, as the Internet plays an important role in the functioning of modern society and its institutions. It is used by hospitals and non-profit organizations to provide health and social services. The government is using it to improve commercial travel and road safety. This helps coordinate the intricate supply chains that fuel our economy. It even helps monitor and maintain the water and energy infrastructure of our communities.
Because the Internet plays a central role in even these most basic functions, attempts to deliberately disrupt or terminate access to the Internet reflect obvious consequences. human rights violations. And in an increasing number of cases around the world, violations are becoming a matter of life and death. However, there has been little international response to the growing use of attacks on Internet infrastructure in regions engulfed in overt and covert war.
Over the past decade, submarine cables have been deliberately severed or otherwise sabotaged by attackers. Last year, two submarine cables in the Baltic Sea, one of which connected Germany and Finland, were severedpresumably Russian saboteurs. And last March, The Mir submarine cable connecting Africa, Asia and Europe was cutleading to widespread internet shutdowns in East Africa. The cause has not been officially established.
Over the past year, many Americans have experienced just how much of an impact internet shutdowns can have on our daily lives. A global internet shutdown in July 2024 caused by CrowdStrike errorscybersecurity firm hit 26% of US adults. The unintentional outage crippled financial services, delayed flights and disrupted hospitals and businesses around the world. So what happens when bad actors, including our own governments, deliberately, with ever greater precision and the resources at their disposal, target our Internet and compromise our ability to stay connected?
In October 2024 The Taliban imposed a widespread internet shutdown in Afghanistan under the dubious pretext of solving the problem of “misuse of the Internet”, restoring it shortly after universal condemnation. But this is far from the first time domestic forces have used the Internet as a weapon. Following the example of Iran, Sudan, Bahrain, Egypt And Syria have cut off or suppressed internet access for protesters with varying degrees of success.
This is a particularly troubling development that could signal broader trends. Russia recently tested a way to cut off its territories from the global Internet as a way to build your own “sovereign” network that could allow the Kremlin to more directly monitor civilians and suppress political dissent.
In 2016, the UN Human Rights Council officially declared access to the Internet as a human right.. But like most of his claims, enforcement and accountability are neither guaranteed nor widely expected. Several countries, each with deeply authoritarian bents – Russia, China, Saudi Arabia and India – have opposed UN amendments aim to codify the Internet as a human right.
To truly make Internet access a human right, it is important that we define exactly what constitutes access, with a focus on reliable and sufficiently fast Internet. For example, although 5G was widely available in Israel in 2020The Israeli government has long denied Palestinians access to 4G service, we refuse updates in 2021 which are still not fully implemented as they should have been.
We must also recognize that human rights are often linked to each other, with one having important implications for the others. For example, Internet access is increasingly linked to the quality of education. a more globally recognized and accepted human right. According to one international surveyapproximately 39% of Internet users use it for educational or study-related purposes. Internet access is also closely linked to freedom of speech and labor, two other vital human rights.
While it may seem unlikely that such violations will reach American shores, various forms of Internet restrictions and indirect censorship are already widespread in the country. Due to ongoing Republican politicsg, The United States is lagging behind in enforcing net neutrality, a principle that states that all Internet traffic should be treated equally and not subject to bias and financial losses associated with tiered access. According to a CNET surveyLast year, 42% of U.S. adults said they experienced unreliable internet speeds or connections, and 63% reported rising home internet prices.
As digital connectivity increasingly determines access to basic needs, the need to take internet access seriously as a human right has never been clearer. As with war, our understanding of human rights must change over time. This means understanding that in a future war, victory will be measured not only by the number of opponents killed, but also by the depth of destruction of the Internet infrastructure that supports our societies.
Jerel Ezell directs the Berkeley Center for Cultural Humility and is a sociologist and assistant professor at the University of Chicago Medicine. Sugi Choi is a health services researcher and assistant professor at New York University School of Medicine.
