Internet Shutdowns Cost Indian Economy $1.9 Billion So Far In 2023: Report
NDTV
India's regular use of shutdowns as a tool to maintain public order gives India a shutdown risk of 16 per cent so far this year, one of the highest in the world as of 2023, it said.
Internet shutdowns by law enforcement agencies like the one in Manipur and Punjab cost USD 1.9 billion to the Indian economy in the first half of 2023, a report said on Thursday.
The shutdowns also led to a loss of nearly USD 118 million in foreign investment and triggered over 21,000 job losses, the global non-profit Internet Society said in its report 'Netloss', according to Press Trust of India.
The non-profit arrived at the financial impact of the shutdown going beyond the loss of output and included factors like change in the unemployment rate, Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) lost, risks of future shutdowns, population in the working age etc.
"Governments often mistakenly believe that internet shutdowns will quell unrest, stop the spread of misinformation, or reduce harm from cybersecurity threats. But shutdowns are extremely disruptive to economic activity," the report said.
