Deliberate Internet Shutdowns

The document analyzes the accelerating global trend of deliberate government-imposed internet shutdowns—tracking hundreds of incidents across dozens of countries in 2024–2025—and details how they are executed (total blackouts, mobile-only blocks, platform bans, throttling), why they’re used (unrest, elections, exams, military operations), and their severe societal, economic, and humanitarian impacts. It highlights enabling factors such as centralized infrastructure, cites prominent cases (e.g., Afghanistan, Tanzania, Cameroon, Pakistan, Nigeria, Iran, India), notes limited workarounds (VPNs, mesh, Starlink, border SIMs), and assesses mixed international responses, urging stronger norms and legal protections to preserve reliable internet access.