- Pulse tracked seven election-related Internet shutdowns in 2024.
- The Internet Society worked with multiple partners in 2024 to mitigate these and other types of deliberate Internet disruptions.
- Although there are fewer elections planned in 2025, we still expect a heightened risk of election-related Internet shutdowns.
2024 was an exceptional year for elections.
Over the past 12 months, the citizens of 85 countries voted in more than 165 national and regional elections, around 20% more than in 2023. Notably, this included eight of the world’s 10 most populous nations.
During elections in some countries, officials seek to control access to information, usually citing the need to prevent the spread of social unrest, fight against the dissemination of false news and speech that incites hatred and revolt, and preserve national security. Given this increased risk of deliberate Internet interference, we tracked and worked with our community to mitigate election-related shutdowns.
Use the search bar to find your country, and click on the column headers to sort columns.
Despite our efforts, governments in Comoros, Mauritius, Mozambique, Pakistan (including Punjab and Balochistan provinces), and Senegal ordered their local and national Internet Service Providers (ISPs) to suspend Internet services either before, during, or after national or regional elections.
Although elections are not as common as other causes (see chart), the seven election-related Internet shutdowns that occurred in 2024 are the most we’ve tracked since 2019.
Advocating Against Internet Shutdowns Before Elections
As a member of the #KeepItOn coalition, we recognize the need to create awareness of the risk of Internet shutdowns before they happen. Elections and exams offer a unique opportunity for us to plan advocacy efforts around known dates of events that align with heightened risk.
In 2024, we worked with the Internet Society Venezuela Chapter to hold one of five Pulse Journalist Seminars on Internet Shutdowns ahead of the Venezuela national elections. We replicated this targeted approach ahead of the Sri Lanka elections by working with the Sri Lanka School of Internet Governance (LKSIG) and Journalist Associations in Sri Lanka.
While neither country experienced a nationwide shutdown during their elections, we recognize that governments implemented similar or heightened censorship activities that affected their citizens’ access to election-related information.
Another worthy advocacy activity we participated in was a call for the government of Mauritius to stop its 11-day service-blocking orders after two days. Read the Internet Society’s position on Internet Shutdowns.
Looking towards 2025
Although there are fewer elections planned in 2025, we still expect a heightened risk of election-related Internet shutdowns. That said, encouragingly, 12 months after ordering an Internet shutdown following the re-election of President Azali Assoumani, the Comoros held its Parliamentary election in January without an Internet shutdown.
Like last year, we will continue to track elections (see chart) and work with our #KeepItOn partners and our Internet Society Chapters and members in affected countries to urge governments not to order Internet shutdowns during elections (or at any time, for that matter).
Use the search bar to find your country, and click on the column headers to sort the columns.
In the meantime,
- Check out AccessNow’s Internet shutdown guide for election observers, embassies, activists, and journalists
- Stay tuned for our 2025 Pulse Journalist Seminars on Internet Shutdowns
- Email us ([email protected]) about how we can work together to call out election-related and other forms of deliberate Internet shutdowns.