Internet Shutdowns

[UPDATE - 23 July 2024 - 13:00 UTC] - Connectivity is gradually returning to Bangladesh. (See charts below.) After 5 days, our NetLoss calculator estimates this shutdown has cost the Bangladesh economy over $21,965,222 USD. Data and reports show that mobile Internet has been shut down across much of Bangladesh amidst protests against the government. Media reports state that much of the protest activity is around the capital, Dhaka, and is related to quotas and hiring rules for civil service. Protests against the hiring practices have been ongoing for several days but have increased over the last day or so. Cloudflare Radar and IODA both showed the disruption of Internet connectivity starting with mobile networks early on 18 July and advancing to a complete loss of connectivity within the country around 15:00 UTC. The government of Bangladesh confirmed that they have ordered this shutdown. Over 40 civil society organizations that are part of the KeepItOn Coalition have signed a letter calling on the government of Bangladesh to restore Internet connectivity. The Open Observatory of Network Interference (OONI) indicates that they have seen blocking of social media sites beginning back on 16 July. If you are located in Bangladesh, you can help test Internet connectivity by running OONI’s mobile probe app on your mobile device. If the shutdown continues, our NetLoss calculator estimates there will be a loss to the Bangladesh economy of over USD $3,500,000 per day. Read more about Bangladesh's Internet infrastructure in our country report.

[Update 2 August] According to OONI data, Instagram, Facebook, YouTube, and Twitter services started to resume normal operations on 31 July, with no anomalies recorded on 1 August. [Update 28 July] There are reports that Facebook is being blocked in Bangladesh, coinciding with the protests against a quota system for jobs in the public sector in Dhaka. Initial data from OONI (see report) suggests the block is only for Facebook and was in place from 16 July. Facebook and all Internet services were subsequently unreachable during the five and a half day Internet shutdown from 18 to 25 July. Following the shutdown, OONI testing shows that Facebook is still being blocked as are other Meta services, including Facebook Messenger, Instagram and WhatsApp.OONI notes that its testing suggested "potential temporary blocking of WhatsApp on 17th July 2024 between 7:00 to 9:00 am UTC. More specifically...attempted connections to WhatsApp’s registration service and WhatsApp Web failed, resulting in connection reset errors." Since July 24 there have also been increases in anomalies (signals of potential censorship) for tests to Signal, Telegram, X (formerly Twitter), and YouTube. No cause documentation has been made apparent thus far.    

Data and reports show that mobile Internet has been shut down in parts of Pakistan's Punjab region during the religious festival of Muharram. Media reports state that mobile services include not only mobile Internet but network calls and SMS texts with a focus in specific areas along procession routes and venues hosting religious gatherings (majalis). These events follow the Punjab government's request to suspended mobile Internet services and popular social media services from 13 to 17 July. Reports suggest that mobile Internet services were already partially suspended on Sunday 14 July in certain areas of Rawalpindi, Faisalabad, Jhang, Bahawalpur, and Bahawalnagar.

Iraqi Kurdistan regional authorities ordered Internet services to be suspended again on the morning of  14 July 2024, between 6:00 and 8:00 local time (+3 UTC). The shutdown comes on exam days as part of its efforts to prevent cheating. 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.

Local authorities in Pakistan's Balochistan province ordered that mobile Internet and cellphone services in parts of the province be suspended from 14 to 17 July during the religious festival of Muharram. A spokesperson for the Balochistan Home Ministry said that the suspension will affect Quetta, Kachhi, Jhal Magsi, Jaffarabad, and Usta Muhammad. Similar directives have been issued in Pakistan's Punjab province, where mobile Internet services and popular social media services have been partially suspended.  

The Punjab provincial government has ordered mobile Internet and phone services to be suspended on 13 July from 15:00 to 23:00 local time in the areas of Lahore Airport, Walled City, Shadra, Barki/Hadyara, and Nawab Town. The order was made to control law and order in the province on the arrival of ex-Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif.

There are reports that mobile Internet services have been suspended for 24 hours in Dhalai, Tripura. According to one report, Tripura home secretary PK Chakraborty released a notification under the provision of Section 52 of the Indian Telegraph Act, 1885, to "prohibit SMS messages of all mobile service providers, mobile internet or data service of all mobile service providers from midnight of 12/07/2024 to till the next day of 13/07/2024 of 12.00 PM (midnight) throughout the Dhalai District." The notification was given to quell community tension following the death of a young boy.

Iraqi Kurdistan regional authorities ordered Internet services to be suspended again on the morning of  10 July 2024, between 6:00 and 8:00 local time (+3 UTC). The shutdown comes on exam days as part of its efforts to prevent cheating. 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.

Iraqi Kurdistan regional authorities ordered Internet services to be suspended again on the morning of  7 July 2024, between 6:00 and 8:00 local time (+3 UTC). The shutdown comes on exam days as part of its efforts to prevent cheating. 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 authorities ordered Internet services to be suspended again on the morning of  2 July 2024, between 6:00 and 8:00 local time (+3 UTC). The shutdown follows an announcement by Iraq's Ministry of Communication on 7 June 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. 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 16 this year, most of which were related to exams.