Internet cut-off during national exams in Algeria

The Algerian Ministry of National Education announced that the Internet will be shut down for an hour during High School Certificate Examination, scheduled during 20-25 June 2018, to stop exam cheats. Nouria Benghabrit, Minister of National Education, ‎expressed that ‘[the authorities] are not comfortable with the decision to cut the Internet, but [they] should not passively stand in front of such a possible leak.’ During secondary school exams in 2016, social media services were also blocked to prevent the publication of ‘bogus questions’, as reported by officials to Algeria’s APS news agency. Similar practices have been reported in Iraq.