In 2024, governments worldwide imposed a record-breaking number of internet shutdowns, with 296 shutdowns documented across 54 countries. This surpassed the previous high of 283 shutdowns in 39 countries in 2023, according to a report by Access Now and the #KeepItOn coalition. Conflict remained the leading trigger for internet shutdowns for the second year.
Perpetrators expanded their arsenal of tools to cut connectivity in war, conflict, and violence situations. There was also an alarming rise in cross-border shutdowns impacting people in multiple countries, including those carried out by Russia in Ukraine, Israel in Gaza, and Thailand and China in Myanmar. Myanmar led the global list of offenders with 85 internet shutdowns, primarily imposed by the military government targeting a population resisting its dictatorship four years after the coup.
India dropped from the top spot in 2023 to second place, with 84 shutdowns, while Pakistan recorded its highest-ever total of 21 shutdowns.
Record number of global internet shutdowns
In 2024, 41 internet shutdowns occurred in 17 countries in the Middle East and North Africa region, down from 77 in 2023.
However, the number of affected countries increased from 15 to 17. Authorities in 10 countries in the region implemented 18 platform blocks as a method of information control, while armed conflicts drove 12 internet shutdowns, endangering civilians’ safety. Israel led the region with six shutdowns, systematically cutting off connectivity and destroying telecommunication infrastructure despite international criticism.
The Sudanese Armed Forces and the rival Rapid Support Forces weaponized shutdowns during the ongoing war, disrupting access to vital services for millions. The year also saw cyberattacks from the Anonymous Sudan hacker group causing shutdowns in Bahrain, Chad, and Israel, while Mauritania enacted the region’s first election-related shutdown since 2021. The region continued to lead globally in exam-related shutdowns, with 10 disruptions across five countries, including Algeria, Iraq, and Syria, under the pretext of preventing cheating, despite resistance from civil society.
Image Credits: Photo by NASA on Unsplash
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