03: Everyday Life Under a Shutdown

In the third episode of Kill Switch, we take a look at what it is like to live through an internet shutdown. We talk to people about how these shutdowns impact their lives in small and unexpected manners - as well as in profound life-changing ways.

We hear from a startup founder in Cameroon’s ‘Silicon Mountain’ tech-hub whose business had to survive a shutdown of over 200 days; receive covert voice-note messages from a Rohingya refugee in the worlds largest refugee camp; and find out how shutdowns affect healthcare workers fighting against COVID-19 as well as journalists.

This episode features interviews with Ro Sawyeddollah from Cox’s Bazar Refugee Camp, Mambe Churchill Nanje, founder of Njorku, Devdutta Mukhopadhyay from the Internet Freedom Foundation and Ruth Gbatoe from the Center for Media Studies and Peacebuilding.

Hosted by Felicia Anthonia. Produced by Access Now, the #KeepItOn coalition, and Volume. Funding support from Internews. Production assistance by internet teapot. Music by Oman Morí.