[H]undreds of Sudanese have taken to the streets of Khartoum and elsewhere in the country protesting soaring food and gas prices and many years of human rights violations under the Sudanese government. In response to spontaneous protests, security forces have reportedly shot and killed eight people and injured many more. Rather than addressing the critical political and economic issues Sudan is facing, the government has decided to shut down social media and introduced a state of emergency. Accessing information and exercising freedom of expression – especially in times of unrests –  are essential: it enables many to reach emergency and medical services, access life-saving information, and reach family and friends at home and abroad. Blocking access to social media has put many lives at risk and will continue to do so unless the government allows the free flow of information... Moreover, as many of the protesters across the country are protesting the rising prices of food and other essential items, cutting access to social media only adds fuel to the fire: it will contribute to the grave economic crisis and the high inflation facing Sudan. This countrywide social media outage is costing Sudan $7,521,798 per day. Pressure is building on telecom companies operating in the country, including MTN Sudan and Zain Sudan, to more transparently notify the public of restrictions and push back against government requests that could violate human rights.