Yazılar

Red Sea Cable Cuts Disrupt Internet Across Asia and Middle East

/in /tarafından

Internet services across Asia and the Middle East were disrupted after multiple subsea cable cuts in the Red Sea, according to monitoring group NetBlocks. Connectivity issues have hit users in India, Pakistan, and the UAE, with outages observed on the networks of Etisalat and Du.

The cause of the damage remains unclear, though failures were identified near Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, a key junction for undersea fiber routes linking Asia, Africa, and Europe.

Microsoft confirmed that its Azure cloud services were affected by the outages, warning users of increased latency. While traffic has been rerouted via alternative paths to prevent full service interruptions, Microsoft said some customers may still experience delays on routes previously running through the Middle East.

Azure is the world’s second-largest cloud provider after Amazon Web Services (AWS), making such disruptions significant for global enterprises. Experts note that the incident underscores the fragility of subsea cable infrastructure, which carries more than 95% of international internet traffic and is increasingly exposed to both accidents and geopolitical tensions.

Pakistan Seeks YouTube Ban on Over Two Dozen Critics Including Journalists

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Alphabet-owned YouTube has informed more than 25 Pakistani critics, including journalists and opposition figures, that their channels could be blocked following a court order labeling them “anti-state.” The Islamabad judicial magistrate issued the order on June 24 after the National Cyber Crime Investigation Agency (NCCIA) accused these channels of sharing “highly intimidating, provocative and derogatory” content against state institutions.

Among those targeted are the main opposition party Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), its jailed former leader Imran Khan, and several journalists critical of the government. YouTube warned the creators that failure to comply with the court could result in immediate blocking of their channels in Pakistan.

Pakistan’s Interior Minister Talal Chaudhry indicated the creators could face criminal charges, emphasizing laws against using social media to “create chaos.” The crackdown follows broader efforts by Islamabad to regulate digital content and curb dissent, with prior temporary bans on platforms like X, Facebook, and TikTok.

Critics argue this move undermines free speech in Pakistan, where traditional media faces severe restrictions. Journalists like Asad Toor, who has over 333,000 subscribers, condemned the ban as an attack on constitutional rights and a way to silence voices opposing state oppression.

PTI spokesman Zulfikar Bukhari said the government is suppressing human rights abuses and dissenting narratives after Imran Khan’s 2022 removal from office—a claim denied by Pakistan’s military. The court order is part of stricter laws, including a 2025 amendment allowing tribunals to impose up to three years’ imprisonment and fines for sharing “false or fake” content.

Digital rights advocates criticize the process for lacking due legal procedure, with creators like Toor planning to challenge the ban legally, calling it “dictatorial” and asserting that digital suppression cannot silence them.

Careem to Suspend Pakistan Service After Nearly a Decade Amid Economic Challenges

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Careem, the ride-hailing service owned by Uber in the Middle East, announced it will suspend its Pakistan operations on July 18, ending a near 10-year presence in the country due to economic difficulties, rising competition, and capital constraints.

Launched in 2015, Careem was a pioneer in app-based transport in Pakistan, helping to popularize digital payments, app bookings, and increasing female ridership. However, the company said the tough macroeconomic environment, intensified competition, and challenges in global capital allocation made continued investment unsustainable.

Newer competitors such as Russia-backed Yango and Latin America’s inDrive have expanded aggressively in Pakistan’s major cities with low-cost ride models. This follows Uber’s exit from Pakistan in 2022, signaling mounting pressure on the country’s digital economy.

Pakistan’s startup ecosystem has struggled since 2022 amid drying venture capital, soaring inflation which peaked at 38% before easing to 3.5%, and weakening consumer demand. Several startups like Airlift, Swvl, VavaCars, and Truck It In have shut down or downsized.

Globally, ride-hailing companies including Uber, Lyft, and Grab have been exiting unprofitable markets or shifting toward adjacent services such as deliveries and payments, due to rising costs, regulatory hurdles, and thin margins in emerging markets. Uber continues to operate in parts of the Middle East and North Africa but has withdrawn from Pakistan as of 2024.