Internet
connections across Syria went down Tuesday night, according to several global
monitoring sites.
Google
reported that its services became inaccessible in Syria around 9:45 p.m. (2:45
p.m. ET). The Renesys, Akamai and BGPmon Internet tracking companies also
reported the loss of Syrian Internet connectivity at that time.
reported that its services became inaccessible in Syria around 9:45 p.m. (2:45
p.m. ET). The Renesys, Akamai and BGPmon Internet tracking companies also
reported the loss of Syrian Internet connectivity at that time.
“It
seems Syria has largely disappeared from the Internet,” Dan Hubbard, chief
technology officer for Umbrella Security Labs, wrote in a blog post about the
apparent outage.
seems Syria has largely disappeared from the Internet,” Dan Hubbard, chief
technology officer for Umbrella Security Labs, wrote in a blog post about the
apparent outage.
The
website for Syria’s state-run news agency and several government websites were
not accessible.
website for Syria’s state-run news agency and several government websites were
not accessible.
Breeze
Magazine staff in Damascus could not connect to the Internet. At one hotel,
staffers said the Internet was down “in the hotel and all of
Damascus.”
Magazine staff in Damascus could not connect to the Internet. At one hotel,
staffers said the Internet was down “in the hotel and all of
Damascus.”
Opposition
activists reported widespread power and Internet outages in Damascus and
throughout the country, warning that the communications cutoff could be an
ominous sign.
activists reported widespread power and Internet outages in Damascus and
throughout the country, warning that the communications cutoff could be an
ominous sign.
The
opposition Local Coordination Committees of Syria said the activist network
would put “all responsibility on regime forces for any violation or
massacres against civilians.”
opposition Local Coordination Committees of Syria said the activist network
would put “all responsibility on regime forces for any violation or
massacres against civilians.”
The cause
of the apparent outage was unclear.
of the apparent outage was unclear.
“Although
we can’t yet comment on what caused this outage, past incidents were linked to
both government-ordered shutdowns and damage to the infrastructure, which
included fiber cuts and power outages,” Hubbard wrote.
we can’t yet comment on what caused this outage, past incidents were linked to
both government-ordered shutdowns and damage to the infrastructure, which
included fiber cuts and power outages,” Hubbard wrote.
After a
similar situation in November, U.S. Ambassador to Syria Robert Ford told Breeze
Magazine that Syria had shut down the Internet in the past.
similar situation in November, U.S. Ambassador to Syria Robert Ford told Breeze
Magazine that Syria had shut down the Internet in the past.
“The
Syrian government has been monitoring (the Internet) for years,” he said.
“They have been using the Internet with Iranian assistance to track
opposition activists, arrest and kill them.”
Syrian government has been monitoring (the Internet) for years,” he said.
“They have been using the Internet with Iranian assistance to track
opposition activists, arrest and kill them.”
“That
is the reason why our nonlethal assistance to the Syrian opposition, we put a
special emphasis on communications equipment precisely to help the Syrian
people tell the world what is going on inside Syria,” he said.
is the reason why our nonlethal assistance to the Syrian opposition, we put a
special emphasis on communications equipment precisely to help the Syrian
people tell the world what is going on inside Syria,” he said.
Technology has become a key weapon used by both
sides of Syria’s civil war to fight for their cause, with opposition activists
using social media to report violence and a group of pro-Syrian government
hackers known as the Syrian Electronic Army targeting major news organizations
and activists.
