Internet Shutdowns
Government-ordered internet shutdowns have become a common tool in many countries to suppress protest, control information during conflict, prevent exam cheating, or for vague public-order reasons. India alone imposed ~84 documented shutdowns in 2023. Pakistan, Ethiopia, Russia, Iran are also frequent users. Economic costs are substantial — billions of dollars per year.
Key insights
India is the world leader in shutdowns
India has imposed the most internet shutdowns of any country every year since 2018. ~84 in 2023, ~84 in 2022. Concentrated in Jammu & Kashmir (38 in 2023), Punjab, Haryana. Triggers: protests (farmer movement), communal tensions, exam time, security situations. Indian Supreme Court (Anuradha Bhasin 2020) ruled indefinite shutdowns unconstitutional; in practice, time-limited but extendable shutdowns continue.
Iran's 2022 shutdowns drew global attention
Iran imposed widespread internet shutdowns during the 2022 Mahsa Amini protests. Mobile networks slowed or blocked, social media filtered, foreign messaging apps (WhatsApp, Instagram) restricted. Shutdowns affected daily life and economy substantially. The pattern of using shutdowns to suppress protest is well-established in Iran, Pakistan, Ethiopia, Sudan, Myanmar, Russia. International condemnation has limited practical effect.
Economic costs are real
Top10VPN estimates: $24B in economic losses from shutdowns in 2023. Major contributors: Russia, Pakistan, Sudan, Ethiopia, Iraq. Costs include: lost productivity, frozen e-commerce, financial system disruption, missed export sales, foreign investment chill. The economic argument is increasingly used in lobbying against shutdowns, though governments often prioritize information control over short-term economic costs.
Internet shutdowns globally 2016–2024
Documented shutdowns per year (Access Now)
Key Finding: Trend has been upward over the period. 2024 again exceeded 280 incidents.
Top shutdown countries 2023
Number of documented internet shutdowns
Key Finding: India dominates by absolute count; smaller countries have higher per-capita shutdown rates.
Methodology & caveats
What counts as a shutdown
Access Now KeepItOn methodology: documented government-ordered disruption of internet service or specific apps. Includes total blackouts, throttling (slowing speeds), targeted platform blocks (Twitter, WhatsApp, Facebook), targeted geographic blocks. Reports rely on community submissions, telecom operator data, news reports. Likely undercounts in countries with limited civil-society capacity to document.
Why shutdowns happen
Reasons governments cite: prevent protest organization, prevent rumor spread, exam cheating prevention, public-order maintenance during communal tension, military operations, electoral integrity. Patterns suggest core function is often information control during politically sensitive moments — the 'preventing cheating' rationale is often invoked for shutdowns coinciding with political events.
Cost estimates
Top10VPN methodology: GDP loss + corporate revenue loss + lost wages + e-commerce decline. Estimates are conservative — may not capture full economic impact. CIPESA's African shutdowns research uses similar approach. Cost figures should be treated as approximate orders of magnitude rather than precise.