Going dark: 296 internet shutdowns witnessed across 54 countries in 2024

Global tech policy and internet rights advocacy group Access Now and the #KeepItOn campaign documented 296 internet shutdowns across 54 countries in 2024. Myanmar led the digital connectivity blackout list with 85 shutdowns, followed by India (84) and Pakistan (21).

 

Shutdowns were imposed 103 times due to conflict and 74 times across 24 countries during domestic protests. Algeria, Jordan, Kenya, India, Iraq, Mauritania, and Syria cut off internet access 16 times to prevent exam cheating, while Azerbaijan, Comoros, India, Mauritania, Mozambique, Pakistan, Uganda, and Venezuela did so 12 times to curb election-related unrest. 

 

India, still the blackout capital

   

India saw a slight dip in shutdowns compared to 2023 but still recorded 84 instances in 2024, the highest among democracies. People across 16 states and Union Territories faced disruptions, with officials in Manipur (21), Haryana (12), and Jammu & Kashmir (12) ordering the most shutdowns.

 

Of the 84 shutdowns:

 

•          41 were linked to protests

 

•          23 were tied to communal violence