Internet Shutdowns
Who Shuts Down the Internet the Most?
Based on 912 shutdowns we've tracked since 2018
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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
24,015 hours
of access to the Internet due to intentional disruptions.
Over the past 12 months, we estimate that
US $90,028,097
has been lost in combined GDP across all countries that have experienced Internet shutdowns
Shutdowns
December 2019
912 shutdowns
November 2019
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Past
National shutdown
National except Kurdish region
On November 16, 2019, the Iranian government shut down the Internet following deadly protests over fuel price hikes. The five-day blackout derailed daily life, and resulted in widespread disruption of online services, rendering access to healthcare and online education sources unavailable for millions of citizens. While Iranians are no strangers to shutdowns, this one was different to previous incidents, and far more sophistocated. Rather than throttling (slowing of connectivity) and blocking access to certain websites, services and apps, the entire country was taken completely offline, making it difficult use circumvention techniques. "Iran’s ability to shutdown the Internet is the culmination of policies, technological developments and centralised control", says Mahsa Alimardani, one of the authors of the Article19 research and an academic at the Oxford Internet Institute. “A lot of the incentive to shut down the Internet was to shut down communication channels that were seen to be facilitating a lot of this mobilisation,” Alimardani says (source: Wired). 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.
Iran
- Start
- End
- Total Duration 8 days
-
Past
Service blocking
Facebook, Twitter, Instagram
Venezuela
- Start
- End
- Total Duration 0 minutes
-
Past
Regional shutdown
Damoh, Panna, Chhatarpur and Tikamgarh districts, Madhya Pradesh
This shutdown was imposed because public wanted to carry out processions on occasion of Eid-e-Milad-un-Nabi despite not getting permissions from the authorities. Permissions of all kinds for rallies and processions have been denied in the State by District authorities till November 30th.
India
- Start
- End
- Total Duration 1 day
-
Past
Service blocking
Facebook, Twitter, WhatsApp
Rajasthan (also in Meerut and Saharanpur in western Uttar Pradesh, Palwal, Haryana, and Maharashtra)
As the judgement in the sensitive Ayodhya title suit was delivered, internet was suspended in many parts of the country. The divisional commissioners of Agra and Aligarh announced that internet will be suspended for 24 hours starting 6 am on November 9. This would include the suspension of mobile internet services in addition to the suspension of social media services including WhatsApp, Facebook and Twitter. Similarly, internet services have also been suspended in parts of Rajasthan including Jaipur, Alwar, Sikar and Dausa starting 10 am on Saturday in anticipation of the verdict and to prevent the spread of messages that could spark violence given the sensitivity of the Ayodhya issue.
India
- Start
- End
- Total Duration 2 days, 9 hours
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Past
Regional shutdown
Hadramout, Shabwa Al-Jawf, and Marib
After an interruption of more than 12 hours due to a break in the fibre optic cable between the areas of ‘Huswin’ and the city of ‘Al-Ghaydah’, the capital of the governorate of Al-Mahra, Internet service resumed today, Wednesday, in several eastern and south-eastern governorates.
Yemen
- Start
- End
- Total Duration 12 hours
-
Past
National shutdown
National except Kurdish areas
Iraq
- Start
- End
- Total Duration 7 days
October 2019
-
Past
Service blocking
Facebook, Twitter, WhatsApp, Instagram
National except Kurdish areas
Various Iraqi social and economic classes are expressing their discontent with the government’s decision to cut off the internet, in order to avoid what the latter called “security chaos and conspiracy against the homeland.” Politicians, media professionals, and activists confirm that Adel Abdul Mahdi’s authority has violated all “civil liberties” laws by blocking the internet from operating permanently inside Iraq.
Iraq
- Start
- End
- Total Duration 1 day
-
Past
Regional shutdown
Mobile Internet Services
Islamabad and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa
According to reports, the Government of Pakistan has decided to suspend mobile phone services including the mobile Internet during the ‘Azadi March’. This was revealed by the leading broadcast journalist Shahzeb Khaanzada in his news show ‘Aaj Shahzeb Khaanzada Kay Saath’ on Geo News. The News also reported on various planned road-blocks and other measures that might adversely affect citizens’ mobility.
Pakistan
- Start
- End
- Total Duration 1 day
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Past
Regional shutdown
Abyan districts
Yemen
- Start
- End
- Total Duration 4 days
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