Algeria resumes annual internet shutdown to curb exam cheating
The shutdown, which began during the baccalaureate exams, has disrupted social networks and messaging platforms commonly used for exchanging answers, leading to major inconveniences.
Algeria has once again implemented its annual practice of blocking the internet across the country in order to prevent widespread cheating during final exams. The internet shutdown began on Sunday when high school seniors started their baccalaureate exams. Social networks and instant messaging platforms, commonly used by cheating students to exchange answers, were inaccessible.
The internet was briefly restored during specific hours but then cut off again. The shutdown has caused inconvenience for people, such as missed deadlines and misunderstandings with international bosses who found it hard to believe that a country could block the internet for a high school exam.
The internet blackout will continue until Thursday, 15 June. Algerian authorities nor mobile operators have provided detailed explanations or compensation plans for the affected users. According to senior officials, this is the sixth consecutive year that Algeria has resorted to this measure, as other solutions have proved ineffective in combating widespread cheating. Similar practices are reported in other countries, including Syria, Iraq, Mauritania, and several Indian states.
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