SHRINKING DEMOCRACY, GROWING VIOLENCE 54 • For investors and financial institutions linked to businesses operating in the impacted area, hold these businesses accountable for full transparency on their business conduct and the above requirements. International actors should: • • • • • Provide technical resources, support, and assistance in rebuilding damaged communications infrastructure in a manner that is resistant and resilient to disruption; Ensure the timely and continued provision of shutdowns-resilient telecommunications equipment, personnel, and standards through bodies like the International Telecommunication Union (ITU), Global System for Mobile Communications (GSMA), and Emergency Telecommunications Cluster (ETC), not only for the humanitarian community but for the entire affected population; Recognize and fund solutions for alternative access to the internet and other communication channels as critical tools for protecting lives and fundamental human rights, and establish and commit resources for coordinated action plans to provide people in high-risk areas with alternative access to telecommunication services;314 Seek accountability through the International Court of Justice (ICJ), International Criminal Court (ICC), and other relevant courts, and ensure jurists consider the role of internet shutdowns and other digital rights violations in the investigation of international crimes; and Ensure that UN-led investigations into ongoing conflicts include adequate reporting on digital rights violations, including internet shutdowns. Internet shutdowns continue to pose a persistent threat to communities at risk around the world in moments when access to information is vital, from elections to protests to natural disasters. In all contexts, we call on stakeholders to take up the following recommendations:  All states should: • Adopt legislation that clearly prohibits disruptions to ICT networks and digital communication platforms, in accordance with international human rights standards; • Unequivocally reject any proposals to ban digital platforms people rely on to exercise free expression, free assembly, and other fundamental rights;315 • When addressing issues such as public safety or the spread of harmful content online, refrain from resorting to disproportionate tactics like internet shutdowns that further exacerbate harm, and instead consult with civil society and other stakeholders to develop effective and rightsrespecting policy solutions; • Leverage all appropriate diplomatic channels to sustain continuous, consistent pressure on authorities globally to lift ongoing shutdowns and to discourage additional offenses going forward; and • Push tech and telecom companies to uphold human rights and hold them accountable when they fail to provide effective remedy for violations.  Authorities currently imposing internet shutdowns should: • Immediately and unequivocally remove all restrictions to accessing ICT services and online communications platforms.  In particular, the top repeating and emerging offenders named above in this report should: 314 See supra note 10. Access Now (2023); supra note 149. 315 See supra note 76; Access Now (2023). Slipping down the authoritarian hole: Nepal must lift the TikTok ban. https://www. accessnow.org/press-release/nepal-tiktok-ban/; Vox (2024). Banning TikTok would be both ineffective and harmful. https://www. vox.com/technology/24100104/banning-tiktok-us-senate-ineffective-and-harmful-bill