January 3, 2021
Increasing surveillance capacities and a litany of state and legal interventions, and the potential of collective action in 2020
The Covid-19 pandemic has centred the importance of digital spaces in our lives, irrevocably changing the way we work, study, communicate and access basic services. As schools and universities across the country shut down to stymie the spread of the virus, the problem of unequal access to technologies and internet services was underscored by the experience of students from lower-income backgrounds and the peripheries. Images of students from Gilgit-Baltistan having to traverse mountains and long distances to access internet signals were shared widely as students protested the inequalities inherent in virtual classrooms. Access to internet is intrinsically tied to one’s class and geographical locations, however, there are also political dynamics at play as some areas of the country are denied access to mobile, fast-paced internet on the pretext of national security considerations. Access to the internet and digital technologies should be a fundamental right and non-discriminatory.