Internet Shutdowns
Who Shuts Down the Internet the Most?
Based on 876 shutdowns we've tracked since 2018
-
413 -
140 -
73 -
37 -
17 -
17 -
16 -
14 -
11 -
10
- Africa
- Americas
- Asia
- Europe
- Oceania
Ongoing
11
ongoing shutdowns around the world
112
Internet shutdowns around the world since August 2024
14
countries have experienced a total or partial Internet shutdown since August 2024
Since August 2024, the world’s population has lost a total of
24,162 hours
of access to the Internet due to intentional disruptions.
Over the past 12 months, we estimate that
US $29,131,029
has been lost in combined GDP across all countries that have experienced Internet shutdowns
Shutdowns
December 2021
876 shutdowns
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Past
Regional shutdown
Khartoum
Internet services were reportedly suspended in Sudan's capital city, Khartoum, on 25 December 2021, ahead of planned protests against the military and its ongoing coup. Internet shutdowns during protests or civil unrest impact citizens’ ability to get accurate information from government sources when they need it most. It also becomes harder for citizens to contact family members and friends in other parts of the country or in other countries.
Sudan
- Start
- End
- Total Duration 16 hours
-
Past
Regional shutdown
Mobile Internet Services
Mon, Nagaland
Local authorities ordered mobile Internet service providers to suspend Internet services in the Mon district until further notice on 4 December to maintain law and order during the civil unrest that broke out in the district. Services were restored the following afternoon (5 December). Internet shutdowns during protests or civil unrest impact citizens' ability to get accurate information from government sources when they need it most. It also becomes harder for citizens to contact family members and friends in other parts of the country or other countries.
India
- Start
- End
- Total Duration 14 hours
November 2021
October 2021
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Past
National shutdown
Sudan’s military cut fixed and mobile Internet connectivity on 25 October 2021, after it seized power just ahead of the country’s general elections. Sudan was under a transitional authority after the ouster of Omar al-Bashir in 2019, and the military following its takeover declared a state of emergency as protesters took to the streets of the capital, Khartoum, in opposition to the coup. On 9 November, Khartoum’s District Court ordered ISPs to restore Internet access, but services only began to return after 25 days of blackout, on 18 November, prolonged by the insistence of the Telecommunications and Post Regulatory Authority for the shutdown to remain in place. Zain and MTN were the first to come back online, followed by Sudatel and later by other providers. Al Jazeera Arabic reported that the Internet blackout caused economic losses amounting to tens of millions of dollars per day, with telecommunications companies alone losing USD 6 million daily. Citizens resorted to roaming services on international SIM cards sent from overseas to get in touch with their loved ones.
Sudan
- Start
- End
- Total Duration 24 days, 9 hours
-
Past
National shutdown
Bangladesh mobile operators GrameenPhone, Robi Axiata and Banglalink were ordered to shut down 3G and 4G services in the wake of attacks on religious sites in an attempt to quell rising violence. Internet shutdowns during protests or civil unrest impact the ability of citizens to get accurate information from government sources when they need it most. It also becomes harder for citizens to contact family members and friends in other parts of the country, or in other countries.
Bangladesh
- Start
- End
- Total Duration 11 hours
September 2021
August 2021
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Past
National shutdown
Mobile Data
The three-hour disruption in Internet access began after activists called for anti-corruption protests against the government, demanding the resignation of President Salva Kiir. The Minister of Information, Communication and Postal Services denied a government-mandated shutdown, attributing the outage to technical problems. Amnesty International suspects the shutdown may have been a deliberate attempt to derail the protests, which the armed forces prevented from taking place.
South Sudan
- Start
- End
- Total Duration 3 hours
-
Past
Service blocking
Twitter, WhatsApp, Facebook
Internet users in Zambia were unable to access social media platforms, including Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and Whatsapp, on the day of the country’s general elections on the 12th of August. Local media had previously reported government plans to shut down access to social media to ‘maintain peace and order during the voting period.’ Internet users in Zambia, including journalists, lamented their inability to keep track of election proceedings, and to go about their work properly without these channels of communication. Access was restored by order of the High Court, following a lawsuit put forward by Chapter One Foundation, a Zambian non-governmental organization, challenging the decision of the Zambian Information and Communications Technology Authority (ZICTA) to disrupt Internet connectivity. The ZICTA agreed in March 2022 not to act outside its legal authority to interrupt access to the internet, and to inform the public of the reason for any internet shutdown within 36 hours of implementation in the future.
Zambia
- Start
- End
- Total Duration 2 days
July 2021
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Past
National shutdown
WhatsApp, Telegram, Facebook, Instagram
Thousands of people took to Cuban streets across the country on 11 July 2021, to protest against the government. In response, the government blocked access to messaging apps, including Facebook, WhatsApp, Instagram and Telegram to disrupt the flow of information, making it hard for citizens and activists to mobilize and communicate with each other. Mobile phones account for over three-quarters of all web traffic in Cuba, with approximately 76 % of traffic within the country generated via mobile devices (Statista). Although access was restored quickly, Internet shutdowns during protests or civil unrest impact the ability of citizens to get accurate information from government sources when they need it most. It also becomes harder for citizens to contact family members and friends in other parts of the country, or in other countries. While the Internet has been available in Cuba for several years, access is controlled by the government, which blocks access to certain websites and requires permits for connections to private homes or businesses. The high cost of fixed line access was prohibitive for most citizens until 2018, when relatively affordable mobile Internet plans became available, opening up access - albeit censored - to millions of people.
Cuba
- Start
- End
- Total Duration 1 hour
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Past
National shutdown
Internet services were interrupted for 3 hours at a time, from 08:00 to 11:00 local time (UTC +2) on 3 July 2021 for the duration of the secondary school exam period, with Cloudflare observing the largest drop in mobile Internet access. Sudan’s public prosecutor ordered Internet service providers (ISPs) to shut down mobile Internet connection upon the request of the Ministry of Education. This is the second year that Sudan cut off Internet services to prevent students from leaking exam questions. The shutdown sparked public outcry as banking, health, electronic payment and other services were disrupted during high transaction hours in the Sudanese working day.
Sudan
- Start
- End
- Total Duration 2 hours
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