As of the end of March 2024, Pulse has recorded 22 intentional Internet shutdown events, including seven ongoing events from 2023 and prior, that have affected Internet users across 12 countries.
The last time we witnessed this number of shutdowns in the first quarter of a year was in 2021. During that time, we tracked multiple shutdown events in Myanmar following the military coup, including a service-blocking shutdown event that has been imposed since 2 February 2021 and has so far resulted in more than USD 230 Million losses in GDP.
Report: Tracking Internet Shutdowns in 2023
Of the 22 recorded events in 2024, India has experienced the most (n=9), followed by Ethiopia and Senegal (n=2). More than half of the 22 events (n=13) have been regionally focused; that is, they have only affected parts of countries.
Click on the cards below to view the events in each country.
The nine events that have been nationwide disruptions have lasted from hours to days to months, culminating in more than 910 days of disruptions and affecting some 297 million Internet users. According to the Pulse NetLoss calculator, these nationwide events have accounted for USD 565.4 Million in GDP losses.
Keep the Internet on and Strong
Internet shutdowns harm societies, economies, and the global Internet infrastructure. We urge governments and decision-makers everywhere to support policies that keep the Internet on and strong to build strong economies and give people an opportunity for a prosperous future.