Internet Shutdowns
Who Shuts Down the Internet the Most?
Based on 912 shutdowns we've tracked since 2018
-
423 -
160 -
73 -
37 -
18 -
17 -
17 -
14 -
11 -
10
- Africa
- Americas
- Asia
- Europe
- Oceania
Ongoing
12
ongoing shutdowns around the world
97
Internet shutdowns around the world since January 2025
15
countries have experienced a total or partial Internet shutdown since January 2025
Since January 2025, the world’s population has lost a total of
23,831 hours
of access to the Internet due to intentional disruptions.
Over the past 12 months, we estimate that
US $87,204,222
has been lost in combined GDP across all countries that have experienced Internet shutdowns
Shutdowns
October 2021
912 shutdowns
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
-
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
-
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
June 2021
-
Past
National shutdown
Internet services were interrupted for 3 hours at a time, from 08:00 to 11:00 local time (UTC +2) on 30 June 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
-
Past
National shutdown
Internet services were interrupted for 3 hours at a time, from 08:00 to 11:00 local time (UTC +2) on 29 June 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
-
Past
National shutdown
Internet services were interrupted for 3 hours at a time, from 08:00 to 11:00 local time (UTC +2) on 28 June 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
-
Past
National shutdown
Internet services were interrupted for 3 hours at a time, from 08:00 to 11:00 local time (UTC +2) on 27 June 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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