Ethiopia is one of the most censored countries in the world, ranking an 82 on Freedom House, (100 being the worst). The country is located in Sub Saharan Africa. It is the second most populated country in the region. Surprisingly, this densely populated country is extremely disconnected from the rest of the world. They have the lowest internet connectivity rate in the world, with only a 4.4% penetration. The minuscule population who is online, has very limited access. Freedom House reports that it can take 6 minutes to log on and open up one email! Consider yourself spoiled next time you clear out your inbox.
Social media sites including Facebook, Twitter and Instagram are often blocked in Ethiopia. In one case, the government claimed a social media ban was in order to prevent any distraction from students taking online entry exams. According to AlJazeera, the exam was in fact leaked and shared via social media which led to the ban.
In more serious cases the internet is often blocked to prevent protests and rallies. Earlier this month, the government declared a state of emergency after many people were hurt and 50 people were killed during a protest. The internet was blocked in attempt to prevent demonstrators from organizing further protests. Viber, Ethiopia's most popular messaging app was included in the ban.
With unreliable internet access and blocked content, citizens in Ethiopia are going to have to resort to primitive means of organization.