On 5 August 2019, the Indian Government stripped Kashmir of its semi-autonomous status by unilaterally abrogating Article 370 of the Constitution. This was perceived as the final step to incorporate Kashmir into the rest of India. An internet and communications shutdown was imposed in Jammu and Kashmir on the night of 4 August 2019 and continued for more than six months. Within a matter of hours, the central Government snapped phone lines, deployed thousands of additional troops on the streets and enforced an indefinite communication and security lockdown. According to Access Now, a non-profit organization that keeps track of internet shutdowns, this is the longest internet shutdown ever imposed in a democracy. The Government of India justified the suspension of landline, mobile and internet services that affected nearly 7 million Kashmiris as a preventive measure in anticipation of possible protests against the amendment of the Constitution. These restrictions crippled the…

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