The Algerian government has ordered telecom companies to shut down the internet in the country for several hours every day for the next few days to prevent high school students from cheating. Facebook will be blocked completely during the five days the exams take place.
The decision was made in an attempt to prevent what happened in 2016 when the exam questions leaked online before the exams took place.
According to Algerie Telecom, access will be cut off for mobile and landline connections for about two hours every morning until 25 June.
The shutdown was confirmed by the Internet Intelligence project from internet company Oracle, which monitors web access across the globe.
Voici les horaires de suspension du service #internet pendant les épreuves du #Bac2018 / @Algerie_Telecom pic.twitter.com/AGqLt9grCi
— Radio Algérienne (@radioalgerie) June 20, 2018
In 2016, the questions for the Algerian high school exams leaked before students took the exam, prompting the government to request internet service providers to limit access to social media in 2017.
However, not happy with those results, the government decided this year to shut down the internet entirely to prevent another leak.
Iraq will implement similar measures for the next two weeks while exams take place in the country.
There is no doubt that this will cost the economy of both countries millions of dollars. But, the rate at wish the internet has facilitated fraud is alarming. Whatever the case may be, there is yet to be a report on whether the shut down has actually prevented cheating or not.
