Editorial: Fighting Splinternet: Keep the internet forever open and free — worldwide

The electricity didn't go out in Kashmir, a disputed region of India, but something almost as vital was turned off over the summer: the internet.

In a preemptive move to assert political control, the Indian government shut down internet service, as well as phone service, in the Kashmir region. No email. No Google. No texting. No digital businesses in operation. No news beyond state-sanctioned outlets. It was censorship in extremis, resulting in a loss of freedom.

Eventually most mobile phone service was restored, but the World Wide Web has stayed dark for months. "The government's control