Nicolas Seidler (Masters in International Relations 2007) is Senior Policy Advisor at the Internet Society and co-author of a new paper entitled "Internet Society Perspectives on Internet Content Blocking" which explores the use of Internet blocking by governments to prevent access to illegal content, underscoring that any deliberate attempt to interrupt Internet communications or control the flow of information over the Internet puts society at risk.

Internet shutdowns, including those that impact social media sites or entire networks, occur when governments intentionally disrupt the Internet or mobile apps, often used in the context of elections, demonstrations or other tense social contexts. According to Access Now, there were 56 Internet shutdowns recorded worldwide in 2016, an upward trend from previous years.

"From censorship to SMEs going out of business, the human, economic and technical costs of Internet shutdowns are just too high," explains Nicolas, who joined the Internet Society in February 2010 and currently leads the organisation’s work on Internet and Human Rights issues.

The paper is available to read here.