A recent study by researchers from the University of Konstanz reveals how authoritarian governments control the internet through hidden transit networks. The study also shows how these regimes expand their influence by providing internet access to poorer countries that share their political views.

“This is a mechanism autocracies seem to prefer, it’s a lot less visible,” the researchers explain.

Controlling access

Most internet users are familiar with access networks, which are like the local streets bringing internet connections to our homes and businesses. These networks connect to transit networks, which function like freeways, transporting internet traffic over long distances and globally. However, the companies operating these transit networks are less known to the public.

In wealthier regions like the Global North, access networks have gained prominence in recent years, with large providers making agreements to connect directly. Yet, in other parts of the world, transit networks remain crucial.

Researchers analyzed publicly available data from the Border Gateway Protocol (BGP), a system where networks share internet addresses to establish connections. They assessed how access and transit networks are managed across different countries, categorizing them based on their level of electoral democracy.

Ownership of access

Their findings revealed that ownership of access networks didn’t vary significantly between democracies and autocracies. However, in autocratic nations, state-owned entities had greater control over transit networks. This centralized control potentially enables the state to monitor and manage internet traffic more extensively.

“There are at least 75 countries, with a quarter of the world’s internet users, where a small group of transit providers is dominant, often a single company,” the researchers explain.

The researchers discovered that state-owned internet companies from affluent autocratic nations frequently supply access networks in less prosperous autocratic countries. This fosters pockets of technological collaboration among non-democratic nations within the internet.

For proponents of an open flow of information online, uncovering how authoritarian regimes manipulate networks represents an initial stride forward.