Governments can shut down internet access for the whole country

[Retro]

If this feels like a violation of your human rights, you're not imagining it. It's not only repressive regimes like China that do it either, so those in the West shouldn't get too comfortable.

To view this content we will need your consent to set third party cookies.
For more detailed information, see our cookies page.

Accept third party cookies

 

[live627]

Shutting off the internet will surely keep people from being upset at the government. /s

 

[DIMIDEAS]

It may cause death as many medical records are stored on online databases.

 

[Retro]

@DIMIDEAS that's a really good point. It would also affect the emergency services and a whole lot of other critical infrastructure, too.

 

[live627]

Also, central bank digital currencies will probably rely on internet even if based on some blockchain. Basically, only the preppers and the Amish will be the least affected in such a dystopian scenario.

 

[Tiffany]

We are so dependent on the internet with just about everything we do, both novice and critical in nature.

I've thought about the nature of CBDC...if the internet was shut down, I'm not even sure a hard copy account statement would suffice if an internet kill switch was initiated. With the banks being down, too, what of their back ups?

 

[live627]

Anything based on a blockchain would go down. However, I would imagine that the Federal Reserve would assume full control over its digital currency by having its own internal network of mining servers where it would be the sole arbiter of its own blockchain and can determine who can enjoy the privilege of making a transaction. Such networks do not require any run on sentences nor outside connections (except for distributing currency, obviously)

 

[Tiffany]

Anything based on a blockchain would go down. However, I would imagine that the Federal Reserve would assume full control over its digital currency by having its own internal network of mining servers where it would be the sole arbiter of its own blockchain and can determine who can enjoy the privilege of making a transaction. Such networks do not require any run on sentences nor outside connections (except for distributing currency, obviously)

Very grim outlook, but accurate.

 

[Retro]

I reckon the biggest of institutions like the government and the banks will continue to have a working internet connection during a shutdown. Just surmising this.