Service Blocking, Bangladesh, 16 July

Bangladesh

16 July - 30 August, 2024 (46 days)

Local Impact

[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 Analysis

[Update 2 August]

OONI data shwos that Instagram, Facebook, YouTube, and Twitter services started to resume normal operations on 31 July, with no anomalies recorded on 1 August.

Time series stacked column chart showing anomalies connecting to Facebook since 16 July and Instagram, Twitter and YouTube since 24 July. — **Chart:** OONI Probe testing of twitter.com, `www.facebook.com, www.instagram.com, and www.youtube.com` in Bangladesh between 15 July to 1 August 2024. Source: OONI.

[Update 28 July]

OONI first reported Facebook being blocked in Bangladesh from 16 July 2024. Their initial report notes Facebook being inaccessible on AS24432 (Axiata) and AS24389 (grameenphone) networks.

Time series stacked column chart showing anomalies connecting to facebook from AS24389 and AS24432 networks on 16 and 17 July. — **Chart:** OONI Probe testing of `www.facebook.com` in Bangladesh between 10 to 17 July 2024 on AS24432 (Axiata) and AS24389 (grameenphone) networks. Source: OONI.

Testing since shows that most measurements for www.facebook.com for across all networks tested in Bangladesh have resulted in anomalies (signals of potential censorship) and has come to include other Meta services, including Facebook Messenger, Instagram, and WhatsApp, as well as other social media (X), messenging (Signal and Telegram) and video sharing (YouTube) services.

Time series stacked column chart showing anomalies connecting to Facebook Messenger since 23 July. — **Chart:** OONI Probe testing of Facebook Messenger in Bangladesh between 15 to 28 July 2024. Source: OONI.

Time series stacked column chart showing anomalies connecting to WhatsApp since 23 July. — **Chart:** OONI Probe testing of WhatsApp in Bangladesh between 15 to 28 July 2024. Source: OONI.

Time series stacked column chart showing an increase in anomalies connecting to Telegram since 23 July. — **Chart:** OONI Probe testing of Telegram in Bangladesh between 15 to 28 July 2024. Source: OONI.

Time series stacked column chart showing and increase in anomalies connecting to Signal since 23 July. — **Chart:** OONI Probe testing of Signal in Bangladesh between 15 to 28 July 2024. Source: OONI.

Conversations

Internet returns in #Bangladesh after 5 days! The government has blocked Facebook, Youtube, Messenger & other social medias except X/twitter. Last 5 days felt like hell without internet & with the on-going Curfew.

— Shoaib Shafin (@ShafinShoaib) July 23, 2024

Broadband in Bangladesh is back, but mobile internet and major social media platforms remain blocked.

The government cites compliance issues with tech companies.

But critics argue it contradicts the “Smart Bangladesh” vision.https://t.co/d0EgucPpMo

— Imran Reheman (@IReheman0) July 27, 2024

Actually we are here in #BANGLADESH facing a tough situation.
– govt turned down the internet for 5 days straight.
– now turned on again ,but blocked every social media platform
– also very low bandwidth providing…slow internet.

— chester 🇧🇩 (@mdsiaofficial) July 26, 2024

Internet Shutdowns

Bangladesh