Meet NetBlocks, a tool for mapping the state of the Internet

Over the past two decades, the Internet has gradually become an essential tool for work, information and also for leisure. Currently, we are immersed in a transition to the digital world where the network of networks plays a very important role. Thus, an open, secure and reliable Internet connection is essential for rights such as freedom of expression and association. Not all nations offer the same freedoms, and NetBlocks with its reports, news, and tools aims to reflect the state of the Internet in the world.

Each country in the world has its legislation and its way of acting in terms of Internet connectivity. In some countries there is more freedom, and we find a more neutral and free network. However, in other countries the situation is quite different and there are fewer freedoms. Apart from that, there are other major issues as well. One of them would be the lack of connectivity when a large number of people find themselves without the Internet. In these cases, in addition to the loss of communications, we must add the economic cost that does not allow companies to do business.

NetBlocks: the organization that works for an independent Internet

NetBlocks is born as an initiative of civil society. His idea is to work at the intersection of digital rights, cybersecurity and internet governance. Its goal is to create an independent, non-partisan free network. With the efforts of this organization, it seeks to create an open and inclusive digital future for all.

It seeks to promote change through social enterprise, through its reports in an accessible and contextualized format that cover topics such as:

• Internet access.
• Digital policy.
• Energy supply to countries around the world. A serious power outage can leave many people in secrecy and, in addition, cause financial damage.

NetBlocks, to develop these tasks, works in three areas:

1. Internet observatory where human rights are measured on the internet in real time. In this section we find a tool to check our internet connection against connectivity and freedom.
2. The impact of informing the world with data in which a series of news related to the subject is proposed.
3. THE cost tool which calculates the cost of shutting down the Internet in a country for a period of time.

Then, we will explain and develop these three aspects that NetBlocks offers us.

The NetBlocks Internet Observatory

The Internet Observatory uses new measurement and classification techniques. Its goal is to detect internet disruptions, online censorship and cyber attacks on critical infrastructure. With this work, he is intended to defend human rights and democracy.

At NetBlocks, for this non-partisan observation and surveillance of the Internet, they use the highest ethical standards of fairness and accuracy. These efforts improve digital integrity by exposing power outages, connectivity failures, and censorship. In addition, they offer recommendations for improving Internet governance and digital policy in order to create more resilient and decentralized networks. The initiative also aims to promote safe, protected and private citizen participation through platforms free of censorship and restrictions. It aims to ensure transparency, as well as respect for fundamental human rights and democracy.

One of the tools it offers us is used to check our internet connection.

Through it, information about network interruptions, social media restrictions and connection latency is collected.

If we want to test our internet connection, you have to click here . A recommended thing to do the test is not to use a VPN, to make sure our connection will be tested correctly. Here are the results we got using this NetBlocks tool:

Here we can see that Network Health offers a result of 99%. This means that in the aspects mentioned above my connection is very healthy. He also comments that my network latency, or network latency, is 316ms. Although it should be noted that the latency is a bit high, we have to keep in mind that the server where the test is performed is not nearby, so we should not worry about it.

The impact of informing the world

Without a doubt, one of the most important ways for change to happen is to educate the world. If it is known that there is an unfair situation in any part of the globe, it should be reported. Either for censorship reasons or due to the lack of adequate infrastructure, this can negatively affect the population.

If an injustice or an Internet-related failure is reported to the media, this news or report can lead to notoriety. Ultimately, with this information, you can inspire governments, businesses and individuals to take action. Thus, thanks to the pressure of nations, organizations and individuals, it is possible to achieve greater respect for fundamental rights. In other cases, too, they can facilitate access to countries in need of assistance.

NetBlocks, in this sense, has media coverage and references with news related to these problems. Thus, it informs and investigates incidents of telecommunications interruptions, Internet controls and cybersecurity which are regularly covered by the media. In this sense, they collect the most important information, from organizations and media as prestigious as The Times, New York Post, The Guardian, CNN, Euronews, Fox News and more.

Here is an example with news related to these questions:

In these headlines you can see how censorship affects Belarus. There is also talk of the explosion of poorly stored chemicals in Beirut, and the catastrophic situation that followed. As you can see, these are issues of censorship and, in the case of Beirut, many human lives as well as the destruction of critical infrastructure.

On the other hand, NetBlocks has its Twitter account, where Internet-related incidents are posted. So, for example, in Pakistan, there was a power cut that seriously affected their communications.

Finally, it should be noted that they have a reports section where they further develop all the information we have.

The NetBlocks cost tool

The Internet Society and NetBlocks have teamed up to develop a tool to better measure the cost of lack of Internet service, and are trying to convince governments to keep the Internet connection as low as possible.

THE cost tool or COST is a data-driven online tool that will allow anyone to quickly and easily estimate the economic cost of not having Internet service. That way, governments, journalists, researchers and businesses can quickly calculate what it might mean to be without the Internet.

If you want to use this tool, you have to click on this link . For example, this is the estimate of the impact that it would have if in Spain the Internet connection was lost for 6 hours.

We could also use it to make comparisons. For example, with Pakistan that we talked about earlier, because there was a blackout that affected internet connectivity.

As you can see, in Spain, as the internet is used more for doing business, the cost impact is significantly higher. Finally, as you can see, NetBlocks provides us with valuable information about the internet connection of different countries, and besides, it quantifies the cost it entails to stop working in a nation.