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When people are disconnected from the internet, it can impact everything — access to essential info, how they receive medical care, or communication with loved ones. Whether it’s from the government or natural disasters, you can prep in advance to limit the impact of such shutdowns. 🧵 (1/9)

To keep people connected during internet shutdowns & blackouts, communication networks must be operational before and after the disaster or shutdown. To be effective, they must be widespread so that people can get access to them reliably, and they must be usable by a majority of the community. (2/9)

Radios: Cheap, decentralized, and resilient. Meshtastic is a way to use a common unlicensed radio spectrum and a technology called LoRA to have peer-to-peer decentralized communications with people in your neighborhood or city. (3/9)

Peer-to-peer messaging apps: Briar uses Bluetooth to route messages from device to device, even when there is no internet. Other options include bitchat and Delta Chat, both of which have been used with success in Iran during the latest shutdown. (4/9)

Satellite internet: Without wires, this is harder for governments to shut down unilaterally. Unfortunately when the satellites are owned by tech oligarchs, such as Starlink (owned by Elon Musk), or by allied governments, the owners of those satellites may willingly shut down the network anyway.(5/9)

We can’t rely on tech oligarchs to save us, especially when these same companies and governments are the ones to sever our access to the internet and telecommunications. This is why it's important to set up communication mechanisms before a disaster happens. (7/9)

As hackers, it's important for us to build these tools and infrastructure of decentralized comms, to help people learn how to use them, and to set up networks before disaster strikes. Get together with others in your city and start setting up resilient networks and building community now. (8/9)

Before you download or use any of the tools mentioned in this guide check with a lawyer in your jurisdiction or country and make sure you understand what legal risks you might be taking on. Make sure to read and share the full blog post: www.eff.org/deeplinks/2... (9/9)