Internet Fragmentation > National Gateways

National Gateways

What happens when the Internet has borders?

In an open, global Internet, networks are free to interconnect with other networks across geopolitical borders. This is why you can easily use services that are based in countries other than the one you live in. But if traffic has to run through government mandated gateways, this can become difficult, or even impossible, affecting the user experience and undermining the network itself.

Why Does It Matter?

Internet exchange points are places where networks come together to exchange traffic from different sources. They help traffic flow freely across geographies. A national gateway uses these exchanges as digital checkpoints, where a government can block, throttle, or filter that traffic.

In 2021, Cambodia issued a decree that required all Internet traffic in Cambodia to be rerouted through the National Internet Gateway (NIG) by February 2022. The plans remain delayed, but if it’s implemented, it will not only affect Cambodia, but also the networks that interconnect with Cambodian networks. This could affect traffic within the region.

This decree also says that ISPs must retain all traffic data for 12 months, and are required to report activity to the government in a way that’s traceable to specific individuals. This could include financial transactions, visiting certain websites deemed a threat to the government, or even your location data.

The Cambodian government says this will bolster national security and help crack down on tax fraud. But the impact on Cambodian network connections will affect anyone who connects with those networks, which could have serious consequences for social and economic life, as well as potentially endanger free expression.

Our Position

This policy has passed, but hasn’t been implemented. Internet Society has done an Internet Impact Brief, showing that this undermines three of the five fundamental properties of the global Internet. There’s a risk that this policy could spread to other countries, creating an even greater risk to the network and everything that relies on it.

Threat category:
Regulation of infrastructure

Fragmentation risk:
Proliferation of national gateways

Affected region(s):
Cambodia

a woman in a field holding a phone, pictured from back

Learn More

Last updated:
5 July 2023

Our Position

This policy has passed, but hasn’t been implemented. Internet Society has done an Internet Impact Brief, showing that this undermines three of the five fundamental properties of the global Internet. There’s a risk that this policy could spread to other countries, creating an even greater risk to the network and everything that relies on it.

Learn More

Last updated:
5 July 2023

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