Prof. Tina Freyburg

Ownership of Telecommunications Companies and Internet Control

Ownership of Internet infrastructure, particularly Internet service providers (ISPs), is critical to understanding a state's ability to control the Internet, as most direct forms of control require ISPs to comply with government demands. We examine the relationship between ISP ownership and intentional disruption of Internet service provision in sub-Saharan and North Africa. Our project makes at least two scholarly contributions. First, it provides a more realistic understanding of the Internet as an instrument of repression or liberation, taking into account the role of telecommunications companies. Second, it provides new datasets that allow for a more detailed analysis of the political and economic determinants and impacts of Internet diffusion. The results have important practical implications for assessing the political impact of Internet use, including the corporate responsibility of telecommunications companies.