Reflections from Zaina Foundation’s RightsCon Continues Summit Session in collaboration with Access Now.
What happens to democracy when people can no longer communicate, access information, report what is happening around them, or make their voices heard?
This was the question at the heart of Zaina Foundation’s session at the RightsCon Continues Summit, held online on 22–23 September 2026. This session held on 23 September 2026
Under the theme “When the Net Goes Dark: How Internet Shutdowns Undermine Democracy in Africa,” the session brought together voices from across the digital rights community to examine one of the most urgent challenges facing Africa’s digital and civic space.
The discussion was not simply about internet connectivity.
It was about people.
It was about information, participation, accountability and human rights.
And it was about what happens when a tool that millions of people depend on every day is suddenly restricted or switched off.
RightsCon Continues was created as a 24-hour global online gathering following the cancellation of the planned 2026 RightsCon in Zambia. Rather than allowing the disruption to stop the community from meeting, the RightsCon team created a new space centred on resilience, solidarity, movement-building and collective action. More than 50 sessions were included in the programme. (RightsCon Summit Series)
For Zaina Foundation, it was important that internet shutdowns remained part of this conversation.
Because across Africa, digital rights are increasingly inseparable from civic rights.
When connectivity becomes a democratic issue
An internet shutdown can initially sound like a technical problem.
A connection is interrupted. A website does not load. A messaging application stops working. Mobile data becomes unavailable.Article When the Net Goes Dark_ What Internet Shutdowns Mean for Democracy in Africa