Internet Shutdown: How Governments Weaponize Connectivity
- Human Rights Research Center
- Oct 28
- 12 min read
Author: Ivan Francis, MS
October 28, 2025
View the interactive visual report here on Tableau.
What is an Internet Shutdown?
An internet shutdown is a deliberate interruption of internet-based communications that prevents a certain demographic, geographic area, or access type from using them. Blocking access to the global internet is frequently an attempt by the state to regulate the flow of information inside a territory. Internet shutdowns are not the same as content restriction or censorship at the application level, which limits access to specific websites, programs or social media while maintaining internet connectivity. While shutdowns are widely criticized for their impact on human rights, governments sometimes defend limited disruptions as emergency measures to contain imminent violence. A notable example occurred in Sri Lanka in 2018, when anti-Muslim riots escalated after mobs coordinated attacks through Facebook. In such a case, a temporary social media blackout was credited with helping to de-escalate the violence and protect vulnerable communities, even as it restricted access to information.
However, in recent years, internet shutdowns have increasingly become a disproportionate response that often hides, rather than resolves, a perceived problem, causing significant collateral damage to a state or region and its population. Today such a disruption affects every facet of life, including employment, education, healthcare, and banking. Shutdowns hinder community organizing, press coverage, and the recording of violations of human rights. They obstruct access to humanitarian help and life-saving information during times of disaster and conflict.
Global Overview of Internet Shutdowns
By nearly every measure, 2024 was the worst year of internet shutdowns ever recorded, highlighting an alarming and dangerous trend for human rights. From India to Myanmar, Israel to Russia, and Senegal to Kenya, governments continued to shut down the internet and critical media communication platforms to muzzle expression, block access to life-saving information and cover up injustice/ crimes against humanity. Despite mounting international opposition, shutdowns remain a favored tactic of both authoritarian and democratic governments. The number of recorded instances has surged from 78 in 2016 to 296 in 2024 across 51 countries which is an increase of nearly 280% in just eight years.
This surge in shutdowns is particularly concerning when considered in the broader context of the Access Now Portal and the #KeepItOn initiative, both of which have been tracking such occurrences since 2016. 51 different countries were recorded who had utilized and imposed internet shutdowns in 2024.
Additionally, for the first time in 2023, countries that enacted shutdowns also blocked access to social media platforms, including Kenya (Telegram), Nepal (TikTok), and Suriname (Meta services such as Facebook, WhatsApp, and Instagram). There have also been social media platform bans in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Lebanon, and Qatar since 2016, 2019, and 2020, respectively. The persistent use of platform blocks, especially during protests, exams, and conflicts, highlights the growing trend of authorities perceiving these actions as “acceptable” forms of control. However, such disruptions disproportionately affect marginalized communities, who often rely on these platforms for communication and access to vital information. In countries like Azerbaijan, Ethiopia, Iraq, Pakistan, and Senegal, authorities have combined social media blocks with mobile shutdowns to suppress dissent. The widespread blocking of platforms like Grindr, especially in the MENA region and Tanzania, is a clear example of targeted repression against LGBTQ+ communities, exacerbating discrimination and isolating individuals from critical support networks. These actions not only threaten fundamental rights but also put vulnerable groups at greater risk.
Authorities in the Asia-Pacific region also deepened their suppression of digital rights in 2023-2024. India and Myanmar were the two countries that have conducted the highest number of shutdowns in recent years. For the seventh year in a row, India leads the way in the total number of government shutdown orders with 200, with 116 in 2023 and 84 in 2024. In Myanmar, the 85 shutdowns officially recorded likely represent only a small portion of the total, as the military junta’s ongoing violence makes it extremely difficult to track all internet disruptions. In South Asia, Pakistan and Bangladesh continued to impose shutdowns, particularly during protests. In Southeast Asia, Indonesia maintained blocks on Grindr, while Nepal joined the list of countries restricting access by blocking TikTok in 2023. Meanwhile, China, under the extensive censorship of the Great Firewall, continued its long-standing restrictions on platforms such as Signal and Grindr.
Inside the Numbers: Country Perspectives
India: In 2024, India recorded 84 internet shutdowns, slightly fewer than the 116 recorded in 2023, yet it remained the country with the highest number of shutdown orders globally for the seventh year in a row. Indian authorities continue to rely on shutdowns as a near-default response to crises, applying them both proactively and reactively, increasingly at a regional rather than local level. People in 16 states were affected by local or statewide internet shutdowns in 2024.
States like Manipur, Haryana and Jammu & Kashmir topped the list of offenders in India, where 41 shutdowns were related to protests and 23 to communal violence. In the first half of 2023 alone, shutdowns reportedly cost the country $1.9 billion and a loss of $118 million in foreign investment. In 2024, the global cost of internet shutdowns reported by Top10VPN estimated global losses of $7.69 billion, and India alone contributed nearly $320 million to that figure. Internet shutdowns in India are not preserving communities; rather, they are widening the digital divide and thwarting initiatives for inclusive and equitable digitization. Authorities in India continue to impose shutdowns at all levels during protests, exams, elections, and sectarian violence, despite the obvious economic implications, disproportionate effects on vulnerable communities, and the concealment of crimes.
Myanmar: Since February 2021, when Myanmar’s junta seized power in a deadly coup, its citizens have endured unrelenting attacks, both physical and digital. Currently, the military has complete control of the country’s telecommunications network and has systematically used internet shutdowns all across the country to facilitate war crimes and crimes against humanity. Out of 85 disruptions that occurred in 2024, 76 were orchestrated by the military. Myanmar passed a new cybersecurity law on January 1st, 2025 that forbids the use of VPNs and punishes individuals who distribute content from prohibited websites. Unauthorized VPN installation or use carries a fine and a maximum jail sentence of six months. The Access Now report found that 31 shutdowns coincided with documented grave human rights abuses in Myanmar, and at least 17 shutdowns imposed by the junta correlated with airstrikes on civilians. Journalists in the country face a huge threat due to the junta conducting a campaign of attacks against the media to control information. The junta continues to turn internet shutdowns into a weapon by obstructing the flow of information, prohibiting the recording of violations of human rights, and thus guaranteeing social and familial isolation. The international community must unite and take concerted actions to offer alternative internet access in Myanmar while making sure that the junta is held responsible for its online and offline repression.
Ethiopia: The Ethiopian government uses shutdowns, especially during conflict; despite public outcry, authorities have persisted in keeping its citizens in the dark while their lives are at stake. Ethiopia’s biggest and most populous region, Oromia, has witnessed many conflicts between insurgents and the government forces. The conflict between the Amhara Special Forces and Ethiopian army broke out in the Amhara region in 2023, and the government declared a state of emergency and shut down internet access among reports of ethnic cleansing. Such atrocities amount to war crimes that seriously violate international humanitarian law. In 2023, many spent 1,153 days disconnected when they needed help the most. In an effort to control the flow of information and quell dissent, governments in Guinea, Senegal, and Ethiopia blocked access to a variety of social media platforms during protests and elections.
Iran: Amongst global shutdowns due to protests and instability, Iran is high on the list, second only to India. Iran has continued its oppressive tactics with internet shutdowns and platform blocking, a trend that intensified following the protests responding to the tragic death of Mahsa (Jini) Amini in 2022. Iran is not new to utilizing such tactics; as it had also conducted shutdowns in 2019–2020 to control the protests against rises in gas prices, where there was a near-total shutdown of the internet, save for top Iranian politicians, who were allowed internet access. During the protests, around 1,500 people were murdered, and Iranians couldn’t contact their friends and families abroad due to the shutdown. With the resulting shutdowns of currency exchange and travel agencies, along with startups and small businesses in the region, the internet block accounted for a total damage of $1-1.5 billion to Iran’s economy. The regime has been building the technology and infrastructure needed for its control, censorship, and shutdown of the internet for more than 80 million Iranians.
Kenya: In 2024, the Finance Bill, which sought to introduce higher taxes amidst growing economic hardships, was passed in Kenya. This sparked nationwide protests, especially among the youth, who used social media platforms to organize and voice their frustration, advocating for better governance and reduction in the costs of living. Following these protests, the London-based internet rights monitoring group NetBlocks reported a major internet disruption which further impacted neighboring countries, including Uganda and Burundi.
Safaricom (a popular listed Kenyan mobile network provider) reported via X (formerly Twitter) that the interruption was due to problems with the subsea cable. However, NetBlocks observed that the timing and impact coincided with protests outside Parliament, suggesting that an “unscheduled maintenance” cycle may have been deployed. In 2025, thousands of Kenyans took to the streets to commemorate the deadly 2024 protests, during which about 60 people were killed by the police in the capital Nairobi. Amidst the protests, the Communications Authority of Kenya issued a directive ordering a stop to all live coverage on television and radio stations. The government imposed internet shutdowns and blocked Telegram, which affected millions of Kenyans through telecommunication companies such as Safaricom PLC, Jamii Telecommunication and Liquid Intelligent Technologies. The Kenyan government’s actions have sparked a debate about the balance between maintaining public order and upholding constitutional rights. Cross Border ShutdownsIn 2024, countries also experienced shutdowns implemented by perpetrators outside of their borders, which resulted in 25 total shutdown instances. Conflict was the lead trigger for cross-border shutdowns in 2024, as perpetrators intensified their efforts to disrupt connectivity during wars and violent conflicts. A broader range of instruments were used, including the intentional breaking of cables, jamming of devices, destruction of vital communication infrastructure, and undermining of internet service providers. Sadly, there was a dramatic rise in cross-border shutdowns. Russia's activities in Ukraine, Israel's in Gaza, and Thailand and China's joint shutdowns in Myanmar are notable examples. Elections (12 shutdowns), exams (16 shutdowns), and protests (74 shutdowns) were the other main causes of cross-border shutdowns.
Russia and Ukraine: Amidst the ongoing conflict between the two nations, internet shutdowns have been used as a tool to disrupt communication, control information flow, and limit access to independent news, particularly in areas of Ukraine occupied by Russia before and after the full-scale invasion in February 2022. The Russian-based Internet Protection Society estimates that a single day of nationwide mobile internet shutdowns could result in financial losses amounting to hundreds of million of dollars. The Russian government intensified its control over digital communication in affected regions following drone attacks by Ukraine targeting Russian infrastructure, reported by AP News in June and July 2024.
Israel and Palestine: Israeli authorities have frequently used shutdowns in Gaza and the West Bank to control telecommunication during periods of heightened tension or military operation. These measures often coincide with airstrikes, protests, or security escalations, severely affecting civilians’ access to information, social media and emergency services. More than 500 cell towers belong to Paltel (Palestine Telecommunications Co.), and 80% of them have been destroyed due to the conflict. Israel's control over all cellular communications and technology developed by Palestinians was one of the terms of the Oslo Accords, which were agreed upon by Israel and the Palestine Liberation Organization in 1993 and 1995. Since the Israeli government imposed restrictions, Gaza has only ever operated on 2G cellular service, an outdated system that has already been shut down in many countries.
Conclusion
While limited, narrowly targeted shutdowns have at times been used as emergency measures to contain imminent violence, broad or prolonged internet shutdowns remain a disproportionate response that often obscures rather than resolves underlying problems, resulting in significant collateral damage. There is a lack of evidence to prove internet shutdowns solve the issues that they are meant to address, and the potential collateral damage resulting from these actions is abundantly clear. Internet shutdowns are harmful to the people, countries, and economies around the world. Governments worldwide are urged to adopt policies that foster peaceful demonstrations, support open social discourse, and ensure that emergency communication channels remain uninterrupted.
Glossary
Access Now Portal: A digital monitoring platform that tracks global internet shutdowns, providing statistics, case studies, and advocacy resources for defending digital rights.
Amhara Special Forces: A regional paramilitary group in Ethiopia’s Amhara region. In 2023, conflict between the Amhara Special Forces and the Ethiopian army triggered internet shutdowns under a declared state of emergency.
Collateral Damage (Digital Context): The unintended negative consequences of an internet shutdown on a population, economy, or public services that are not the target of the action.
Community Organizing: The use of digital communication to mobilize citizens around social, political, or humanitarian causes, which can be disrupted by internet shutdowns.
Crisis-Responsive Shutdowns: Shutdowns implemented reactively by authorities in response to immediate crises, protests, or unrest, as opposed to proactive shutdowns intended as precautionary measures.
Cross-Border Shutdowns: Internet disruptions initiated by actors outside a country’s borders to affect connectivity within the target country, often linked to geopolitical conflicts.
Digital Divide: The inequality in access to reliable internet or digital tools, which is worsened by shutdowns, particularly affecting marginalized communities.
Disproportional Reaction: A government’s excessive or indiscriminate use of internet shutdowns that fails to address the underlying issue while causing widespread disruption.
Emergency Communication Channels: Critical infrastructure for broadcasting warnings, life-saving information, and disaster responses, which can be obstructed during shutdowns.
Flow of Information Control: The deliberate manipulation or restriction of information dissemination, often cited as a justification for shutdowns but frequently used to suppress dissent or human rights reporting.
Great Firewall: A term commonly used to describe China’s extensive system of internet censorship and surveillance. It blocks access to many foreign platforms and websites (e.g., Signal, Grindr), and filters domestic online content.
Humanitarian Disruption: When internet shutdowns prevent the delivery of aid, access to medical or disaster information, or coordination among humanitarian organizations.
Information Obstruction: The act of preventing the documentation or reporting of events, such as human rights violations or crimes, through the temporary suspension of digital connectivity.
Junta: A government led by a committee of military leaders, often established after a coup. In Myanmar, the junta that seized power in 2021 has used internet shutdowns as a tool of repression, silencing dissent and concealing human rights abuses.
Life-Saving Information Access: Data critical for survival, such as emergency alerts, health guidance, or disaster warnings, which can be hindered during shutdowns.
Mobile Shutdowns: Temporary suspension of mobile network services, including voice, SMS, and mobile data, as a tool for controlling population movement or communication.
NetBlocks: A monitoring organization that reports on internet disruptions, including those in Kenya and cross-border shutdowns.
Platform Blockade: The targeted restriction of specific digital applications or online services, which differs from a full internet shutdown but can have similar social impacts.
Proportionality Principle (Digital Governance): The concept that government actions, including shutdowns, should be necessary and minimal to achieve a legitimate goal; internet shutdowns often violate this principle.
Repressive Digital Tactics: Strategies used by authorities to enforce compliance or suppress dissent, including shutdowns, censorship, platform restrictions, and surveillance.
Social and Familial Isolation: A psychological and social impact of shutdowns, particularly when communities rely on digital networks for essential social interaction and support.
Subsea Cable : It is a fiber-optic cable laid on the seabed to carry telecommunication and data signals across oceans and seas.
Targeted Suppression: The use of shutdowns or platform blocks against specific demographic or marginalized groups, amplifying discrimination and social vulnerability.
Telecommunication Network Control: The ability of a governing body to regulate or interrupt all forms of electronic communication, often exercised to enforce shutdowns.
Telegram : A free, cloud-based instant messaging and social media app
Tracking & Reporting Mechanisms: Tools, organizations, and methodologies used to document shutdowns, their frequency, causes, and impacts, such as Access Now’s #KeepItOn initiative.
Unauthorized Digital Circumvention: The act of bypassing shutdowns or platform blocks using VPNs or other technologies, which may carry legal penalties in restrictive regimes.
VPN (Virtual Private Network): Technology used to bypass internet restrictions, prohibited in some countries like Myanmar.
Widening Digital Inequality: The long-term effect of repeated shutdowns that disproportionately affect communities with limited alternatives for online access.
Weaponization of Connectivity: The strategic use of internet shutdowns to achieve political, military, or social control objectives, such as preventing evidence collection or organizing protests.
Work & Economic Disruption: The interruption of employment, banking, education, and commercial activities resulting from restricted internet access, often with measurable financial losses.
#KeepItOn Initiative: A global campaign spearheaded by Access Now since 2016, aimed at documenting, monitoring, and fighting against internet shutdowns worldwide.
References
Internet Society. Internet shutdowns statement. Retrieved from https://pulse.internetsociety.org/shutdown-statement#_ftn1
Access Now. (2024). 2023 KIO Report. Retrieved from https://www.accessnow.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/2023-KIO-Report.pdf
Times of India. (2023, October 20). India saw second highest number of internet shutdowns in 2024: Report. Retrieved from https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/india-saw-second-highest-number-of-internet-shutdowns-in-2024-report/articleshow/118531883.cms
Finshots. (2023, March 15). The economic costs of internet shutdowns: India government. https://finshots.in/archive/the-economic-costs-of-internet-shutdowns-india-government/#:~:text=But%20while%20these%20measures%20might,%24320%20million%20to%20that%20figure
DW. (2023, April 11). Myanmar: Why is the junta shutting down the internet? https://www.dw.com/en/myanmar-why-is-junta-shutting-down-internet/a-71770580
DW Akademie. Myanmar: Focus on freedom of the press and freedom of expression. https://akademie.dw.com/en/myanmar-focus-on-freedom-of-the-press-and-freedom-of-expression/a-56441046
Access Now. (2023, May 15). Myanmar: Keep it on – Stop internet shutdowns. https://www.accessnow.org/press-release/myanmar-keepiton-internet-shutdowns-2023-en/
Access Now. (2023, August). Open statement on internet shutdown in Amhara, Ethiopia. https://www.accessnow.org/press-release/open-statement-internet-shutdown-amhara/
The Guardian. (2023, August 4). Ethiopia declares a state of emergency in Amhara amid increasing violence. https://www.theguardian.com/global-development/2023/aug/04/ethiopia-declares-a-state-of-emergency-in-amhara-amid-increasing-violence
Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights. (2023). Situation of human rights in Ethiopia: Report of the High Commissioner (A/HRC/54/CRP.3). https://www.ohchr.org/sites/default/files/documents/hrbodies/hrcouncil/chreetiopia/a-hrc-54-crp-3.pdf
USA Today. (2019, November 23). Iran's internet blackout: What we know about the country's shutdown. https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/world/2019/11/23/irans-internet-blackout/4268948002/
United Nations News. (2022, December 21). UN rights experts alarmed by internet shutdown in Iran. https://news.un.org/en/story/2022/12/1131537
Vice.Iran turned off the internet to shut down protests — and no one knows when it’s coming back on. https://www.vice.com/en/article/iran-turned-off-the-internet-to-shut-down-protests-and-no-one-knows-when-its-coming-back-on/
TechCrunch. (2024, June 25). Internet goes dark in Kenya in the wake of major protests over Finance Bill. https://techcrunch.com/2024/06/25/internet-goes-dark-in-kenya-in-the-wake-of-major-protests-over-finance-bill/
TechPoint Africa. Kenya proposes digital tax. https://techpoint.africa/news/kenya-proposes-digital-tax/
TechPoint Africa. Africa lost $1.5 billion to internet shutdowns in 2024. https://techpoint.africa/news/africa-lost-1-5-billion-to-internet-shutdowns-in-2024/
Amnesty Kenya. Statement on the Communications Authority’s directive to halt live broadcast of protests and potential shutdown of the internet for 56 million Kenyans. https://www.amnestykenya.org/statement-on-the-communications-authoritys-directive-to-halt-live-broadcast-of-protests-and-potential-shutdown-of-the-internet-for-56-million-kenyans/
NPR. (2018, September 13). Oslo Accords 25 years later. https://www.npr.org/2018/09/13/647329036/oslo-accords-25-years-later
CNN. (2024, January 18). Gaza communications blackout continues for one week amid Israel-Hamas conflict. https://www.cnn.com/2024/01/18/middleeast/gaza-communications-blackout-one-week-israel-hamas-intl
Associated Press. (2025, August 26). Russia internet and cellphone disruptions amid Ukraine war.https://apnews.com/article/russia-internet-cellphone-disruptions-ukraine-war-9644b7147d661a8e0809465afffb452f
Human Rights Watch. (2025, July 30). Russia: Internet blocking, disruptions, and increasing isolation. https://www.hrw.org/news/2025/07/30/russia-internet-blocking-disruptions-and-increasing-isolation
Data Sources
