MTN grilled over Internet shutdowns

Open Secrets has published a report implicating MTN and its subsidiaries in human rights violations by enforcing government Internet shutdown orders in Africa and the Middle East. However, MTN says it was complying with local regulations.

The report notes that the mobile operator was transparent about these shutdowns.

“As a matter of course, we operate within the regulatory frameworks of each market, ensuring strict compliance with all applicable laws and licensing agreements,” MTN told MyBroadband in response to the report’s allegations.

“Our robust governance structures guide our operations and safeguard ethical conduct across all levels of the company.”

Open Secrets said although mobile devices can enable mass mobilisation, they can also be used as tools for political control through Internet shutdowns.

The report defines an Internet shutdown as the “intentional disruption of Internet or electronic communications allowing for the control over the flow of information.

These were found to be most common during periods of war or national political changes and elections, resulting in human rights organisations monitoring and protesting against governments that cut off their citizens’ ability to communicate.

In 2024, the governments of Comoros, Equatorial Guinea, Ethiopia, Mauritania, Mauritius, and Mozambique all ordered Internet shutdowns.

These ranged from shutting down Internet access entirely to restricting certain services like social media.

Such shutdowns happen regularly in Ethiopia, where the government uses it to respond to flare-ups of unrest in the hopes of preventing civil war.

Zimbabwe and Eswatini have also enacted Internet shutdowns in the past to crack down on protests.

Activists, academics, and civil society groups have tried to convince governments not to order Internet shutdowns through moral appeals and warnings about its harmful economic impact.

These groups have also taken aim at telecommunications operators that comply with government orders to shut down or restrict Internet access, saying that they should stand up to the powers that be.

This has happened in the case of MTN, as Open Secrets noted that the mobile operator “is obliged to comply with the laws of the countries its subsidiaries operate in and abide by the terms of its licence agreements.”

Therefore, Open Secrets argued that MTN may be forced to contravene its commitments to upholding human rights in countries with autocratic governments, war, or human rights violations due to these obligations.

This has occurred in countries such as Cameroon and Sudan, the report said.

Due to a conflict near Cameroon’s border with Nigeria, MTN shut down Internet access in this region in 2017 after receiving orders from the government to suspend access to areas with national security concerns.

MTN Cameroon said it was adhering to the licensing agreements with the government.

However, Open Secrets pointed out that this implies a pre-agreed compromise on corporate accountability and human rights standards, as it allows the government to cut off millions of people at will.

Like in Cameroon, MTN followed government orders to limit Internet access during Uganda’s 2016 general elections.

MTN Uganda said that the Ugandan Communications Commission had ordered it to disable its MobileMoney and social media services “due to a threat to public order and safety.”

However, Yoweri Museveni, the Ugandan President at the time, told journalists that these Internet shutdowns were to prevent citizens from spreading misinformation.

Other countries where MTN shut down Internet access are Iran, Sudan, and Eswatini.