A/HRC/44/24 the General Assembly 28 have recognized the role of the Internet as a driving force in accelerating progress towards development. Sustainable Development Goal 9 of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development includes a commitment to significantly increase access to information and communications technology and to strive to provide universal and affordable access to the Internet in least developed countries by 2020 (target 9.c). 15. Despite its positive, transformative potential, the use of ICT has also enabled dangerous and hateful speech against certain racial29 and religious groups, as well as genderbased discrimination, attacks and violence, including violence against women and girls. 30 This often reflects and may exacerbate harmful racial and gender-based stereotypes, discrimination and violence offline. Online violence against certain racial and religious minorities and women and girls has risen sharply over the past few years, and can result in women limiting their participation on online platforms.31 This is particularly true in cases where assemblies are organized by civil rights and racial equality activists and women and girls. Online violence and abuse against racial and religious minorities and women and girls has led many to self-censor or limit their online interactions, restricting them from exercising their rights, including their right to freedom of peaceful assembly. 32 The racial and genderspecificities and scope for ICT to be used to intimidate, threaten and harm women and girls, including offline, requires careful and deeper reflection as well as tailor-made responsive action. IV. Disabling the channels to organize: interferences with the availability and use of new technologies in the context of assemblies 16. The Human Rights Council has repeatedly expressed concern about measures to prevent or disrupt access to, or dissemination of, information online in violation of international human rights law. The Council has unequivocally condemned such measures, and it has called upon all States to refrain from adopting them and to bring them to an end. 33 17. Interference with access to and the availability and use of new technologies in the context of peaceful protests poses multiple human rights challenges. Such interference includes the filtering of content related to protests, the blocking of websites or certain platforms used to mobilize protesters, the closure of accounts belonging to activists or organizers, or the shutdown of the Internet and communications networks. 18. Internet shutdowns, also called “network shutdowns”, “kill switches” or “blackouts”, are a particularly pernicious way of interfering with ICT and thus also with assemblies. Shutdowns constitute measures to intentionally prevent or disrupt access to or dissemination of information online in violation of human rights law. 34 Such measures are becoming increasingly common. In recent years, the Human Rights Committee has expressed concern about the shutdown of Internet access for months at a time in some countries. 35 Civil society organizations have documented an increase of over 30 per cent in 2019, with 213 documented cases of shutdowns in 33 countries.36 Compared with previous years, in 2019, shutdowns also lasted longer, had a more targeted geographical scope37 and were increasingly acknowledged by governments. 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 General Assembly resolution 73/179. A/HRC/26/49, para. 18. A/HRC/32/42, para. 70. A/HRC/35/9, para. 35, and A/HRC/38/47, para. 25. Contribution of Amnesty International. Human Rights Council resolutions 32/13, 38/7 and 38/11. A/HRC/35/22, para. 8. CCPR/C/CMR/CO/5, para. 41. See also CCPR/C/KAZ/CO/2 and CCPR/C/IRN/CO/3. www.accessnow.org/cms/assets/uploads/2020/02/KeepItOn-2019-report-1.pdf. The exception are shutdowns in Africa, which for the most part affected entire countries. See www.accessnow.org/cms/assets/uploads/2020/02/KeepItOn-2019-report-1.pdf. 5