Internet in Libya is Data Blackhole

As unrest in Libya continues to grow, the country once again has no access to the internet, according to online traffic reports.

Google Transparency Report shows a clear drop off on March 3 at 9:30 pm (GMT), when Libya’s traffic– in and out of the country– fell to zero. It has not shown any usage since.

This shutdown is different from Egypt’s internet/SMS/Blackberry shutdown in late January, reports the International Business Times. Rather than shutting the servers down like Egypt did, Libya’s servers continue to respond, but data is sent into a virtual black hole.

This latest internet shutdown follows news reports that Libya’s embattled President Muammar Gaddafi began new attacks on Friday to regain cities that he has lost control of during the last 18 days.

Two weeks ago, Libya lost internet access during nighttime hours following a 6-hour shut down.