Internet Shutdowns
Who Shuts Down the Internet the Most?
Based on 911 shutdowns we've tracked since 2018
-
423 -
160 -
73 -
37 -
18 -
17 -
17 -
14 -
11 -
10
- Africa
- Americas
- Asia
- Europe
- Oceania
Ongoing
11
ongoing shutdowns around the world
96
Internet shutdowns around the world since January 2025
14
countries have experienced a total or partial Internet shutdown since January 2025
Since January 2025, the world’s population has lost a total of
23,441 hours
of access to the Internet due to intentional disruptions.
Over the past 12 months, we estimate that
US $82,853,723
has been lost in combined GDP across all countries that have experienced Internet shutdowns
Shutdowns
October 2024
911 shutdowns
-
Past
Regional shutdown
North Tripura, Tripura
Tripura authorities ordered the suspension of mobile Internet and SMS services in North Tripura district for 72 hours amid 'communal tensions'. There are reports that orders were extended for 36 hours, though no official announcement has been made.
India
- Start
- End
- Total Duration 3 days
-
Past
Regional shutdown
Bahraich, Uttar Pradesh
Authorities in Uttar Pradesh are reported to have ordered the suspension of mobile and fixed Internet services in Bahraich district amid communal clashes.
India
- Start
- End
- Total Duration 3 days
September 2024
-
Past
Regional shutdown
Assam
Assam State authorities ordered mobile Internet services to be suspended across all 35 districts on 29 September 2024, between 8:30 and 16:30 (local time) to avoid malpractice during government recruitment examinations.
India
- Start
- End
- Total Duration 8 hours
-
Past
Regional shutdown
Odisha
Odisha authorities ordered mobile Internet services to be suspended across the Bhadrak and Dhamnaghar districts for 48 hours from 28 September 2024 to prevent the spread of inflammatory messages in the wake of community unrest sparked by a social media post.
India
- Start
- End
- Total Duration 3 days, 16 hours
-
Past
Regional shutdown
Jharkhand
Jharkhand State authorities ordered mobile Internet services to be suspended across the state on 21 and 22 September 2024, between 8:00 and 13:30 (local time), to avoid malpractice during the General Graduate Level Combined Competitive Examinations.
India
- Start
- End
- Total Duration 5 hours
-
Past
Regional shutdown
Jharkhand
Jharkhand State authorities ordered mobile Internet services to be suspended across the state on 21 and 22 September 2024, between 8:00 and 13:30 (local time), to avoid malpractice during the General Graduate Level Combined Competitive Examinations.
India
- Start
- End
- Total Duration 5 hours
-
Past
National shutdown
Iraq authorities ordered Internet services to be suspended again on the morning of 16 September 2024, between 6:00 and 8:00 local time (+3 UTC). The shutdown follows an announcement by Iraq's Ministry of Communication on 28 August 2024 stating that they will enact the Ministry of Education's request to order Internet shutdowns on exam days as part of its efforts to prevent cheating. The national shutdown comes two days after a similar regional shutdown in the Kurdistan region. In an open letter to the Prime Minister of Iraq, the #KeepItOn coalition, which the Internet Society is a member, recently urged authorities to abstain from implementing Internet shutdowns during exams. The letter notes the lack of evidence demonstrating their impact on exam cheating, the economic cost of shutdowns on the country, and their violation of human rights. Iraq ordered more than 40 Internet shutdowns last year and more than 30 so far this year, all of which were related to exams either in wider Iraq or in the Kurdistan region.
Iraq
- Start
- End
- Total Duration 2 hours
-
Past
Regional shutdown
Assam
Assam State authorities ordered mobile Internet services to be suspended across 28 of the state's 35 districts on 15 September 2024, between 10:00 and 12:00 and 14:00 and 16:00 (local time) to avoid malpractice during the written examination for Class-III government post. Similar orders were given in August 2022 for the Class-III (21 August) and Class-IV (28 August) government post exams but were not during the last exam day on 11 September 2022. These orders come despite a petition in March 2022 to the West Bengal High Court challenging a government move to suspend internet services to control cheating in the Madhyamaik Examinations. from which the court acknowledged but stayed the order. According to a report, the court disposed the matter by saying, “The Rule of 2017 are required to be complied with and the Supreme Court has already laid down the law which is binding under Article 141 of the Constitution, hence, we express hope that while issuing any such order in future, the State authorities will duly comply with the same.” According to the Internet Freedom Foundation, this was an important judgement by the High Court because it would be useful when persuading states to follow the law on internet suspension.
India
- Start
- End
- Total Duration 3 hours
-
Past
National shutdown
Iraq authorities ordered Internet services to be suspended again on the morning of 14 September 2024, between 6:00 and 8:00 local time (+3 UTC). The shutdown follows an announcement by Iraq's Ministry of Communication on 28 August 2024 stating that they will enact the Ministry of Education's request to order Internet shutdowns on exam days as part of its efforts to prevent cheating. The national shutdown comes two days after a similar regional shutdown in the Kurdistan region. In an open letter to the Prime Minister of Iraq, the #KeepItOn coalition, which the Internet Society is a member, recently urged authorities to abstain from implementing Internet shutdowns during exams. The letter notes the lack of evidence demonstrating their impact on exam cheating, the economic cost of shutdowns on the country, and their violation of human rights. Iraq ordered more than 40 Internet shutdowns last year and more than 30 so far this year, all of which were related to exams either in wider Iraq or in the Kurdistan region.
Iraq
- Start
- End
- Total Duration 2 hours
-
Past
National shutdown
Iraq authorities ordered Internet services to be suspended again on the morning of 12 September 2024, between 6:00 and 8:00 local time (+3 UTC). The shutdown follows an announcement by Iraq's Ministry of Communication on 28 August 2024 stating that they will enact the Ministry of Education's request to order Internet shutdowns on exam days as part of its efforts to prevent cheating. The national shutdown comes two days after a similar regional shutdown in the Kurdistan region. In an open letter to the Prime Minister of Iraq, the #KeepItOn coalition, which the Internet Society is a member, recently urged authorities to abstain from implementing Internet shutdowns during exams. The letter notes the lack of evidence demonstrating their impact on exam cheating, the economic cost of shutdowns on the country, and their violation of human rights. Iraq ordered more than 40 Internet shutdowns last year and more than 30 so far this year, all of which were related to exams either in wider Iraq or in the Kurdistan region.
Iraq
- Start
- End
- Total Duration 2 hours
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