After recording the highest number of internet shutdowns globally for six consecutive years, India was replaced by Myanmar last year. It was also the worst year on record for internet shutdowns.
These are the findings of “emboldened offenders, endangered communities: internet shutdowns in 2024” – a report by Access Now, an internet advocacy watchdog, and the #KeepItOn coalition.
With a total of 190 shutdowns, Myanmar, India, and Pakistan together accounted for over 64 percent of all recorded shutdowns last year. In Myanmar, at least six perpetrators, led predominantly by the regime, imposed 85 shutdowns across the country, reflecting the unprecedented scale at which shutdowns have been deployed since the outbreak of civil war in 2021, according to the report.
Following closely behind was India with 84 shutdowns, which for the first time since 2018 was not the leading offender but still imposed a high number of shutdowns as the world’s largest democracy. Pakistan imposed 21 shutdowns, the highest ever for the country, and Russia imposed 19 shutdowns, including seven in Ukraine during its continued full- scale invasion.
Of all the shutdowns recorded in Myanmar, 31 coincided with documented grave human rights abuses and at least 17 of shutdowns imposed by the junta correlated with airstrikes on civilians, according to the report. Meanwhile, Bangladesh’s government imposed five shutdowns during the student protests as part of their violent crackdown that killed over 1,000.
Meanwhile, Malaysia and Thailand joined the shame list of shutdown perpetrators in 2024, with Malaysia blocking access to Grindr in the country and Thailand disconnecting internet service for people in Myanmar and Laos.
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