What if the internet permanently shuts down

[YOSHIE]

I'd love to be enlightened better on why it can be impossible that the internet can never be permanently shutdown, having in mind the shortcomings that I've mentioned?

OP, perhaps several things have been answered here about how the internet works. Therefore, before you think that the internet system is completely dead, it is important that you understand how the internet works and what it is for.
Function:

* Client server; A server is a computer that sends data to and from the internet, while the computer is known as a client or a system that requests information from an Internet Service Provider (ISP) as a server.
* Satellite and transmitting antennas; used by the server to carry out the data transmission process and distributed throughout the world.
* Modems and routers; a computer needs a modem to connect to the internet, while to connect the internet to multiple computers a router is needed.
* Protocol; computer language that the internet uses to communicate with servers and clients. Protocol also relates to the term HTTP or the address of the protocol which is useful for accessing websites.
* IP; a numeric tool used to send computer information packets, while the IP Address is the source of information from where and where the packet is sent.
* Internet browser: media such as Google Chrome, Opera and Firefox that are used to access various information, data and resources.

Thus, it is clear, if you have read and understood the essence of the internet, there is no doubt that if the internet goes down completely whatever you store, such as digital money, data, and so on you can't access it anymore, so you really die in virtual life, returning to the era where ancient humans developed at that time.

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[EarnOnVictor]

It means your Bitcoin is gone for good! This is an imagination of the highest order, it will not happen.

Internet could be attacked, but this will only be temporary and will always be fixed, not that it will be permanent to the point of putting the whole world's communication and financial transactions in jeopardy. This is a fantasy and you have to come out of it now, it will not happen.

[JunaidAzizi]

Some few days back when the forum went down for some hours, some thoughts that I used to have suddenly resurfaced in my mind. What if the internet crashes permanently!  If for any reasons whether natural or manmade the internet suddenly stops working,, what will happen in the world. Unimaginable pandemonium is what will happen, because almost everything is connected to the internet, in fact the world today is so dependant on the internet to transact and communicate almost everything. Be it in finance, telecom, marketing and in every areas of technological advancements, all depends on the internet. It'll seem as if we've suddenly gone back to the stone age, if these where to happen.

I'll focus on finance, so I'm thinking what will happen to the bitcoin inside wallets, what will happen to every fiat currency in bank accounts, if everything erases as a result of internet total breakdown? Who do we hold responsible? I know that the internet technology is manmade, therefore it can not be hundred percent immune to faults and external attacks. And what if there is that less than one chance of it being faulty or compromised, what if that less than one  chance happens,? what will be the fate of the world that mainly depends on it to get things done? I'm no tech guru or a prophet of doom, but this are my thoughts and fears on the matter, although I sincerely hope that I'm very wrong on these thoughts.

I'd love to be enlightened better on why it can be impossible that the internet can never be permanently shutdown, having in mind the shortcomings that I've mentioned?

To shut down the internet system in the whole world is impossible but in a specific region it is possible and many times this occurred in my country. The government I think 4 to 5 times shut down the whole internet system in the country and it caused different issues. The internet is now very involved in the life of a human being it is just like food as you can not survive without food in the same way now people can't spend a single minute. All your system works on the Internet in a country but I don't know how the bank works as we know for the transaction internet is necessary but in our country, the banking system work when the Internet is closed either they just off the mobile network and the wifi system may be worked.

[cryptoaddictchie]

Well it works with signal even though its impossible to make it happened I think there are plenty of ways on how to make it impossible. People live with it and as much as you wanted to make this scenario believable it wont happened so why bother. Cause in our moderate world, no one would ever live now without it. Sooner or later some geeks can invent something that might stronger than the internet for it to work on blockchain somehow.

[serjent05]

Well it works with signal even though its impossible to make it happened I think there are plenty of ways on how to make it impossible. People live with it and as much as you wanted to make this scenario believable it wont happened so why bother. Cause in our moderate world, no one would ever live now without it. Sooner or later some geeks can invent something that might stronger than the internet for it to work on blockchain somehow.

The what-if scenario makes a person prepare for the unexpected.  I am also inclined to think that the scenario is impossible to happen but without thinking that what if events, a person cannot develop alternative ways if something worse happens.

It is true that in the future people might discover or create development that is far stronger than the internet but as long as it has not created yet, it is always good to think of alternative methods if incase internet is not available.  This is also one of the reasons why we have articles like this: Completely Offline Bitcoin Transactions

[BlackHatCoiner]

That's why we need to invest in two worlds, the first is the digital world, of course bitcoin, crypto, shares, and the second is the offline world, for example owning land, property, gold, houses.

I'm not feeling confident of buying a house these days (or investing in real estate generally). I mean, look around what's happening. From day to day, your country might join a war. Houses can be confiscated.

If you want to invest some capital go with either bitcoin or some S&P 500 index. The real investment, in my opinion, comes down to your skill set, i.e. how useful you are. Financial intelligence surely helps, but I cannot fathom how one can live poorly if they're masters of a skill.

[Sophokles]

It means your Bitcoin is gone for good! This is an imagination of the highest order, it will not happen.

Internet could be attacked, but this will only be temporary and will always be fixed, not that it will be permanent to the point of putting the whole world's communication and financial transactions in jeopardy. This is a fantasy and you have to come out of it now, it will not happen.

A frictional scenario like this should not happens. It's not that hard to imagine what would happens because we all know how essential the internet is to maintaining global stability. It will not be possible to maintain cross boarder communication and panic will spread globally. Electronic devices will be usesless and the only communication channel that will be open is through radio signal tower. I think there are a lot of imaginary frictional videos about this topic. 

[_BlackStar]

Some few days back when the forum went down for some hours, some thoughts that I used to have suddenly resurfaced in my mind. What if the internet crashes permanently!  If for any reasons whether natural or manmade the internet suddenly stops working,, what will happen in the world.

Repent - maybe the world is not okay.

Internet is a necessity that inevitably must be maintained by every provider. World chaos and unfavorable natural conditions can cause internet outages – but only until everything recovers and returns to normal. All internet-dependent services will go down - but only in locations experiencing internet outages or disruptions, not worldwide.

Bitcoin can be send or receive without internet - have you noticed?

Machankura is a fully custodial bitcoin and lightning wallet that requires zero configuration and works on any mobile phone in the world and does not require an internet connection to send or receive bitcoin. Machankura takes advantage of USSD present on all mobile phones which is currently the best communication technology available for Africa and the base for several mobile financial services on the continent.

Find out more about the service here: These FAQs are no replacement from what you can learn by using the Machankura service.

[qwertyup23]

When you turn off your computer does your data vanishes? No, it doesn't. It just stops at that current state. And when you turn back on again, you are where you left the last time. Nothing will erase. You won't be able to access it but just for temporary period of time. The magnitude of catastrophy you are asking is nearly unimaginable. Almost close to impossible. Just like @NeuroticFish said, it would be possible, only if we were attacked by an Alien force or any being with higher intelligence than us.

This is an interesting take on this topic and I fully agree with you.

Assuming that the internet shuts down, in all honesty, bitcoin would be my not on my priority list. There are things that are more daunting assuming the internet shuts down for a brief period in time.

But I do agree with what you mentioned- the data is most likely stored and things would be as it is if ever it comes back. Like what most online games that I have played that servers get temporarily shut down, all of the data is stored and things would be recovered if servers go live again (same comparison with the internet).

[Richbased]

The Internet shutting down is just like the whole world shutting down so I don't think there is something so intense that can cause the Internet to shut down permanently that's the reasons why sites undergoes maintenance in other to update the site, review it and make necessary changes if any.

The Internet over the years, have made the world a global village as people communicate with one another all over the world so shutting down the Internet is like blindfolding the whole world as the world requires the Internet to get vital information that will help and solve world problems so I don't think there will be any occurrence that will lead to the Internet being shutdown permanently

[Gallar]

Re: What if the internet permanently shuts down

If this happened, this world would definitely become a bit chaotic. Because currently almost everyone in the world is dependent on the internet. Because in this increasingly advanced era, the internet has become an alternative for many people in various areas of life, for example for selling, studying, communicating, investing, and also for entertainment. So you could say that the internet has become a very important thing for most people and perhaps it could be said to be a necessity too. So if the internet completely shuts down, maybe the world will experience a slight setback in various aspects.

I'll focus on finance, so I'm thinking what will happen to the bitcoin inside wallets, what will happen to every fiat currency in bank accounts, if everything erases as a result of internet total breakdown? Who do we hold responsible?
~Snip

Bitcoins that have been stored in the wallet will definitely remain in the wallet and will not go anywhere when the internet goes down. However, the problem is that bitcoin seems to be frozen and cannot be moved anywhere and cannot be used (bought and sold). So it could be said that Bitcoin becomes a frozen asset and its price disappears when the internet goes down. Likewise with the existing banking system, if all data is stored on the internet network, then it is certain that all data will not be accessible when the internet is down. And if this happens, everyone will definitely come to the party concerned. For example, people who have savings in the bank will definitely ask for their money to be returned to the bank. But even so, it definitely won't be that easy. The reason is that the bank is also confused because its customer data has been completely lost. So basically the world will be in chaos if the internet goes down.

I'd love to be enlightened better on why it can be impossible that the internet can never be permanently shutdown, having in mind the shortcomings that I've mentioned?

Actually, no one knows for sure about this. Because no human can see the future. But in my personal opinion, the internet will definitely still exist if electricity remains available. The reason that really supports the existence of the internet is electrical energy. So, for example, if the electricity goes out, the internet will also automatically turn off. But if for example there is still electricity, in my personal opinion the internet will definitely continue to exist and will not die.

[Sebas.tian]

 Don't forget that internet is for business purposes, and it will be difficult for the internet to be shut down permanently, because many businesses will crash and many governments will not be happy about such attitude from the internet which they can do something that will make such companies to face the punishment. I think internet can only go off in some minutes or hours when there are somethings to put in order so that it will not affect the internet users, which we have experienced such thing in the internet but those who have never experience such thing like OP will be panicking. Internet is not a something that was just created anyhow, and before governments recommended citizens to be using internet show that citizens bitcoins and fiat money are save no matter what happen at the moment.

[Kelward]

It means your Bitcoin is gone for good! This is an imagination of the highest order, it will not happen.

Internet could be attacked, but this will only be temporary and will always be fixed, not that it will be permanent to the point of putting the whole world's communication and financial transactions in jeopardy. This is a fantasy and you have to come out of it now, it will not happen.

A frictional scenario like this should not happens. It's not that hard to imagine what would happens because we all know how essential the internet is to maintaining global stability. It will not be possible to maintain cross boarder communication and panic will spread globally. Electronic devices will be usesless and the only communication channel that will be open is through radio signal tower. I think there are a lot of imaginary frictional videos about this topic. 

We live in a world where the probability of anything happening is possible, i believe that in the 50s the thoughts of the internet were just fantasies, and fantasies can became realities as is the case today. Even the thoughts of bitcoin, a decentralized digital currency that is not owned by any country, and is globally accepted would sound fictional in the 80s, meaning that we live in a world of possibilities where anything can happen. Inasmuch as i don't wish catastrophe on this earth and I hope that the internet does not shut down permanently, i still can't help but think about the possibilities and the impact it'll create because of our dependence on it. The good news is that the chances of such happening is next to impossible and information stored in hardwares can not be erased.

[AakZaki]

A frictional scenario like this should not happens. It's not that hard to imagine what would happens because we all know how essential the internet is to maintaining global stability. It will not be possible to maintain cross boarder communication and panic will spread globally. Electronic devices will be usesless and the only communication channel that will be open is through radio signal tower. I think there are a lot of imaginary frictional videos about this topic. 

Imagining a frictional scenario like this is very difficult and even possible for it to happen at the moment, unless a Zombie invasion starts to come, like in the film Walking Dead, with all electronic devices dead, satellites dead and only a radio that can provide information. You can imagine human life when the internet and everything doesn't work.
But, yes, this is just a friction scenario that will never happen because the government will continue to maintain stability well.

[Mpamaegbu]

I know we're dealing with a supposition, a hypothetical situation here. As scary as the painted scenario is, it can still be a reality for the internet to collapse. After all, the internet wasn't there some years ago. So, what makes anyone think there's nothing that can destroy it. Well, at the moment, we all know that whenever we can't assess the internet in our environment we're locked out of  anything that has to do with the Internet. Bitcoin depends on the internet to thrive and so whenever we don't have internet assess we can't assess our wallets or any stuff related to it. I wish and hope we don't ever get to that point where this doom painted won't become a global reality.

[Razmirraz]

It means your Bitcoin is gone for good! This is an imagination of the highest order, it will not happen.

Internet could be attacked, but this will only be temporary and will always be fixed, not that it will be permanent to the point of putting the whole world's communication and financial transactions in jeopardy. This is a fantasy and you have to come out of it now, it will not happen.

Imagination could become reality if a major upheaval occurs that could cause serious damage throughout the world, such as the outbreak of the third world war. All activities related to the internet cannot be carried out if a nuclear war occurs, it will take a long time to repair any damage that occurs. I have never ruled out that this might happen and the story that happened in Hiroshima and Nagasaki could happen again if the third world war breaks out.

[_BlackStar]

-snip-

We live in a world where the probability of anything happening is possible, i believe that in the 50s the thoughts of the internet were just fantasies, and fantasies can became realities as is the case today. Even the thoughts of bitcoin, a decentralized digital currency that is not owned by any country, and is globally accepted would sound fictional in the 80s, meaning that we live in a world of possibilities where anything can happen. Inasmuch as i don't wish catastrophe on this earth and I hope that the internet does not shut down permanently, i still can't help but think about the possibilities and the impact it'll create because of our dependence on it. The good news is that the chances of such happening is next to impossible and information stored in hardwares can not be erased.

The internet is a human creation - and so is bitcoin and all its advantages. Both could be useless for one reason or another - so of course you need to get that as one of the risks you need to consider. Optimism about good things needs to be increased - but that shouldn't make you ignore any risks that could happen unexpectedly.

Kelward - have you read my previous post; I hope you've done it. Bitcoin transactions can be done without the internet - so don't ever think it can't be done without the internet. The only thing I think is - how can miners run their business without internet, it is definitely a big blow to the industry.

[zaim7413]

A frictional scenario like this should not happens. It's not that hard to imagine what would happens because we all know how essential the internet is to maintaining global stability. It will not be possible to maintain cross boarder communication and panic will spread globally. Electronic devices will be usesless and the only communication channel that will be open is through radio signal tower. I think there are a lot of imaginary frictional videos about this topic. 

Imagining a frictional scenario like this is very difficult and even possible for it to happen at the moment, unless a Zombie invasion starts to come, like in the film Walking Dead, with all electronic devices dead, satellites dead and only a radio that can provide information. You can imagine human life when the internet and everything doesn't work.
But, yes, this is just a friction scenario that will never happen because the government will continue to maintain stability well.

To be honest, I never wanted something like this to happen, it would be the worst scenario that would happen if the internet went down permanently. All the convenience felt by humanity today cannot be separated from the role of the internet in their lives. The internet has now become a part of human life, all work carried out in various fields must be connected to the internet. Even though there is a possibility that this may happen at this time, the government will take various measures to keep the internet functioning, especially now that bureaucratic systems are starting to be adopted into digital systems.

[Kelward]

-snip-

We live in a world where the probability of anything happening is possible, i believe that in the 50s the thoughts of the internet were just fantasies, and fantasies can became realities as is the case today. Even the thoughts of bitcoin, a decentralized digital currency that is not owned by any country, and is globally accepted would sound fictional in the 80s, meaning that we live in a world of possibilities where anything can happen. Inasmuch as i don't wish catastrophe on this earth and I hope that the internet does not shut down permanently, i still can't help but think about the possibilities and the impact it'll create because of our dependence on it. The good news is that the chances of such happening is next to impossible and information stored in hardwares can not be erased.

Kelward - have you read my previous post; I hope you've done it. Bitcoin transactions can be done without the internet - so don't ever think it can't be done without the internet. The only thing I think is - how can miners run their business without internet, it is definitely a big blow to the industry.

Yes I've gone through the link that you shared, and it's very enlightening, thanks. Although this is the first time that I'll hear about this Machankura, the services that it provides is a great innovation that can impact not just African, but the whole continents of the world. If for any reason the internet shuts down and people can't have access to their bitcoin wallets, there should be services like Machankura, to work in the absence of the internet. This is the base of my thoughts that if something where to happen that'll make the internet that we're so dependent on to permanently or temporarily shut down, that what are the alternatives to continue using the services that it provides. These are just thoughts and nothing more, because I believe that the internet technology should have enough backups to reactivate itself in cases of shutdowns.

[Rruchi man]

I'd love to be enlightened better on why it can be impossible that the internet can never be permanently shutdown, having in mind the shortcomings that I've mentioned?

Some countries may decide to block their internet connections due to some reasons like to political crisis or other things like to control their citizens.

 Some countries like India, Iran, Ethiopia, Russia have all done so before.

India is singled out as the “biggest offender” with at least 84 internet blackouts in 2022. Most of these happened in the disputed regions of Jammu and Kashmir, both long gripped by political instability,

Iran, which turned off the internet 18 times as it clamped down on anti-regime protests, and Myanmar’s junta, which introduced seven blackouts.

Russia’s military used missile strikes and cyber-attacks to cut off the internet in Ukraine 22 times and also made efforts to “force occupied territories on to highly censored and surveilled Russian networks

The blackout imposed by Ethiopia’s government on its rebellious Tigray region is the longest shutdown recorded by Access Now and #KeepItOn, lasting more than two years amid allegations of killings, rape and ethnic cleansing. Phone and mobile internet were restored to Tigray after the signing of a ceasefire

source

But it is highly unlikely that there will be a total shutdown of the internet in every country and every place at the same time. At this stage, The possibility and probability of it happening is close to zero.