PRESENTER OPINION : When the Internet Goes Dark: What “Agent Sonya” Teaches Content Creators About Resilient Communications
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Recent conflicts in Ukraine and across the Middle East have exposed a recurring and uncomfortable truth: when governments or military actors want to control the narrative, they don’t just shape the message—they switch off the medium. Internet shutdowns, cellular blackouts, and the targeted destruction of communications infrastructure have repeatedly severed citizen journalists from the outside world.
For a generation raised on always-on connectivity, the proposed solution is often more connectivity—satellite internet services such as Starlink. These platforms undeniably provide critical lifelines for journalists and NGOs operating in hostile environments. But from a systems engineering perspective, they introduce a familiar risk: centralisation. No matter how advanced, any network dependent on a relatively small number of ground stations, satellites, or control systems represents a potential single point of failure—whether through technical disruption, regulatory pressure, or direct attack.
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