36 | RISING REPRESSION MEETS GLOBAL RESISTANCE: INTERNET SHUTDOWNS IN 2025 RESOURCING CIVIL SOCIETY RESISTANCE Funders: • Funders such as governments, development agencies, and donor organizations should prioritize support for organizations working to document, raise awareness, and protect human rights, by: » Prioritizing sustained and flexible funding for organizations working to document, challenge, and prevent internet shutdowns and other forms of digital authoritarianism; » Investing in rapid-response and protection mechanisms such as direct-to-cell connectivity to support organizations and groups operating in volatile and high risk environments;225 and » Championing coordinated action among governments, multilateral bodies, and philanthropy to end internet shutdowns and safeguard an open and secure digital space for all. INVESTING IN ALTERNATIVE CONNECTIVITY Governments, regulators, satellite providers, and international institutions: • Governments must remove regulatory barriers to humanitarian connectivity and ensure sanctions exemptions, licensing, and spectrum access allow satellite internet services to operate in countries under authoritarian control, including during shutdowns. • Multilateral institutions should convene and support multistakeholder processes and spaces to promote dialogue on standards and best practices in good governance and rapid response coordination for emergency connectivity provision for civilians and humanitarian actors. • Satellite providers and regulators must prioritize crisis-ready satellite infrastructure and ensure coverage, capacity, and rapid activation protocols are designed to serve crisis zones (not only profitable markets) enabling immediate use during emergencies. • All actors must ensure that connectivity is accessible for people under duress and services are affordable, easy to activate, and compatible with commonly used devices, including through subsidized or pooled funding models that ensure access during shutdowns and emergencies. • Policymakers and companies must establish clear emergency response protocols and create fast-track mechanisms to activate connectivity during documented crises to support medical care, humanitarian coordination, family contact, and human rights documentation. 225 See supra note 222. WITNESS (2026).