Internet Shutdowns

• Past

  Regional shutdown

  Mobile, Broadband

  Rajasthan, Baran, Chhabra

  Authorities in Chhabra town of Rajasthan’s Baran district ordered mobile and broadband Internet services to be suspended from 11 to 13 April 2021 after shops and houses were set afire during communal clashes. 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.

  India

  • Start 11 April 2021 00:00 UTC
  • End 13 April 2021 00:00 UTC
  • Total Duration 2 days
• Past

  Regional shutdown

  Sopore

  India

  • Start 9 April 2021 00:00 UTC
  • End 9 July 2021 00:00 UTC
  • Total Duration 91 days
• Past

  Regional shutdown

  Mobile

  Shopian and Pulwama districts, Jammu and Kashmir

  Authorities ordered local telecommunication providers to suspend mobile data services in the district of Shopian on 8 April 2021 to maintain law and order following terrorist activities in the region. This is the fifth shutdown the Shopian district has experienced in just over a month. 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.

  India

  • Start 8 April 2021 00:00 UTC
  • End 8 April 2021 00:00 UTC
  • Total Duration 0 minutes

March 2021

• Past

  Regional shutdown

  Mobile

  Shopian district, in Jammu and Kashmir

  Authorities ordered local telecommunication providers to suspend mobile data services in the district of Shopian on 27 March 2021 to maintain law and order following terrorist activities in the region. This is the fourth shutdown the region has experienced in a month. 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.

  India

  • Start 27 March 2021 00:00 UTC
  • End 27 March 2021 00:00 UTC
  • Total Duration 0 minutes
• Past

  Service blocking

  Broadband, Mobile, Facebook

  There are reports that Facebook and its messaging app have been restricted in Bangladesh since Friday, 26 March 2021. Reports suggest that the services are being blocked during the two-day visit of India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi's two-day visit to the country, which has led to protests.

  Bangladesh

  • Start 26 March 2021 00:00 UTC
  • End 27 March 2021 00:00 UTC
  • Total Duration 1 day
• Past

  Regional shutdown

  Mobile

  District of Shopian, in Jammu and Kashmir

  Authorities ordered local telecommunication providers to suspend mobile data services in the district of Shopian from 21 March 2021 (23:20 local time) to 22 March 2021 (17:30 local time) to maintain law and order following terrorist activities in the region. This is the third shutdown the region has experienced in a month. 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.

  India

  • Start 21 March 2021 23:20 UTC
  • End 22 March 2021 17:30 UTC
  • Total Duration 18 hours
• Past

  National shutdown

  Officials in the Republic of Congo shut down the Internet during the 2021 general elections, having previously done so during the 2016 elections. The Internet went down just after midnight on election day, several hours before polling stations opened at 7:00 local time. Governments worldwide shut down the Internet during general elections, often citing 'public security' and 'stopping the spread of disinformation' as the motivating factor. Keeping the Internet on during an election, however, does the opposite: it ensures transparency, that people can access information on electoral processes and candidates, that they can remain in contact with each other in case of emergencies or civil unrest, and ensures that the election process can be reported and results documented. Shutting down the Internet for any length of time has disastrous consequences on the economy, and both businesses and individuals lose out on critical opportunities to do business.

  Congo

  • Start 20 March 2021 23:00 UTC
  • End 23 March 2021 23:00 UTC
  • Total Duration 3 days
• Past

  National shutdown

  Mobile data

  Reports suggest that the military has ordered mobile Internet connectivity restricted from 1:00 to 9:00 local time. These follow previous orders by the military since its coup in January 2021, to restrict Internet access and block social media sites. 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.

  Myanmar

  • Start 15 March 2021 01:00 UTC
  • End 10 May 2021 09:00 UTC
  • Total Duration 56 days, 8 hours
• Past

  Regional shutdown

  Mobile

  District of Shopian, in Jammu and Kashmir

  Authorities ordered local telecommunication providers to suspend mobile data services in the district of Shopian from 13 March 2021 (21:00 local time) to 15 March 2021 (21:00 local time) to maintain law and order following terrorist activities in the region. 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.

  India

  • Start 13 March 2021 21:00 UTC
  • End 15 March 2021 21:00 UTC
  • Total Duration 2 days
• Past

  Regional shutdown

  Mobile

  Anantnag

  Authorities ordered local telecommunication providers to suspend mobile data services in the district of Anantnag from 10 March 2021 (16:10 local time) to 11 March 2021 (14:30 local time) to maintain law and order following terrorist activities in the region. This is the third shutdown in the Anantnag region in just over a month. 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.

  India

  • Start 10 March 2021 18:15 UTC
  • End 11 March 2021 14:30 UTC
  • Total Duration 20 hours