Even to the casual observer, it is probably evident that modern warfare, both internal and external, is changing dramatically. This summer's scenes of a synchronized fleet of Ukrainian drones descending on a field of Russian fighter jets mark how far we have moved away from classic artillery and infantry-based operations. It is not only the methods that are changing, but increasingly the objectives. What will come next will be clandestine, remote AI-powered hacking attacks and targeted (or errant) munitions that sever broadband lines and incinerate Internet infrastructure. And as the development of data centers and the reach of the Internet continues to accelerate rapidly around the world, this change should worry us all, because the main victims of the digital war of the new era will be vast civilian populations, and the cost will be catastrophic.
You only have to look at Gaza to understand how damaging these disruptions can be. According to a report by Access NowGaza has experienced at least 27 total or partial internet and telecommunications outages since Israel's assault on the territory began in October 2023. most recent closing, last SeptemberIt preceded an Israeli ground invasion with tanks and infantry.
Whether through intentional sabotage or negligence, these actions have greatly hampered emergency responses and the coordination and delivery of services and resources, including food and water. for besieged Gazans.
Concerns about attacks over the Internet or against the Internet are not limited to active conflict zones. Seventy-five percent of Americans are Concerned about the security of the country's Internet infrastructure.and it is not difficult to understand why. In the roughly two decades that the Internet has been more or less ubiquitous in the United States, technology has gone from novelty to fundamental to the way we do our work, socialize, manage our finances, and stay informed.
For most of us, the thought of an Internet outage causes mild panic and plunges us into an experience similar to temporarily losing one of our senses. But compare that to people in countries facing this new era of cyberattacks and Internet infrastructure, where Internet outages are a recurring reality. The lives of civilians, if not the target, are often among the collateral damage.
Somewhere Around 5.5 billion people, approximately 68% of the world's population, now use the Internet.. This is more than double what it was just a decade ago, and the Internet is essential to the functioning of contemporary society and its institutions. It is used by hospitals and nonprofit organizations to provide health care and social services. The government uses it to make commercial travel and traffic safer. It helps coordinate the byzantine supply chains that power our economies. It even helps monitor and maintain our communities' water and energy infrastructure.
Because of how central the Internet is to even these most basic functions, efforts to deliberately disrupt or terminate Internet access clearly reflect human rights violations. And in a growing number of cases around the world, rape is clearly a matter of life and death. However, there has been little international response to the increasing use of attacks on Internet infrastructure in regions embroiled in overt and covert wars.
At multiple times over the last decade, antagonistic actors have deliberately cut or otherwise sabotaged undersea cables. Last year, Two submarine cables broke in the Baltic Sea, one of them linking Germany and Finland.presumably by Russian saboteurs. And last March, the undersea Peace Cable, which connects Africa, Asia and Europe, was cut, causing widespread internet outages in East Africa. No cause has been officially determined.
Last year, many Americans got a firsthand idea of how much an Internet shutdown could affect our daily lives. TO Global Internet Outage in July 2024 Caused by CrowdStrike Flawsa cybersecurity firm, affected 26% of American adults. The involuntary disruption paralyzed financial services, delayed flights and caused disruptions to operations at hospitals and businesses around the world. So what happens when bad actors, including our own governments, intentionally, with even more precision and resources at their disposal, attack our Internet and threaten our ability to stay connected?
In October 2024, The Taliban instituted a broad internet shutdown. in Afghanistan under the dubious pretext of addressing “misuse” of the Internet, restoring it shortly after widespread condemnation. But this is far from the first case of internal forces using the Internet as a weapon. Following the example of Iran, Sudan, Bahrain, Egypt and Syria have cut off or suppressed Internet access to blocked protesters, with varying degrees of success.
In a particularly worrying development that may signal broader trends, Russia has recently been testing a way to isolate its territories from the global Internet. as a way to build their own “sovereign” network, one that could Allow the Kremlin to more directly surveil civilians and stifle political dissent..
In 2016, the United Nations Human Rights Council formally declared Internet access a human right.. But like most of his pronouncements, enforceability and accountability are neither guaranteed nor generally expected. A handful of countries, each with deeply autocratic leanings (Russia, China, Saudi Arabia and India) have opposed UN amendments aimed at codifying the Internet as a human right.
For Internet access to truly be a human right, it is important that we define precisely what constitutes access, with a clear focus on an Internet that is reliable and sufficiently fast. For example, although 5G became widely available in Israel in 2020The Israeli government has long denied Palestinians access to 4G service, yielding to updates in 2021 that have not yet come to fruition as they should.
We must also recognize that human rights are often linked and that some are essential to others. For example, Internet access is increasingly related to the quality of education, A human right more recognized and adopted worldwide.. According to an international surveyApproximately 39% of Internet users use it for educational or study-related purposes. Internet access is also closely linked to the ability to exercise freedom of expression and work, two other vital human rights.
While it seems unlikely that these types of violations will reach American shores, various forms of Internet throttling and indirect censorship already occur widely in the country. Due to ongoing Republican politicsg, The United States is behind in ensuring net neutrality, a principle that says all Internet traffic should be treated equally and not subject to the biases and financial benefits of tiered access. According to a CNET surveyLast year, 42% of American adults said they experienced unreliable Internet speeds or connectivity, and 63% saw Internet prices increase in their homes.
As digital connectivity increasingly determines access to basic needs, the case for seriously treating Internet access as a human right has never been clearer. Like war, our understanding of human rights has to evolve with the times. This means understanding that in future wars, victory will not only be measured in terms of adversaries eliminated, but also by the depth of destruction of the Internet infrastructure that underpins our societies.
Jerel Ezell directs the Berkeley Center for Cultural Humility and is a sociologist and assistant professor at the University of Chicago Medicine. Sugy Choi is a health services researcher and assistant professor at New York University School of Medicine.
