Exam-ining recent Internet shutdowns in Syria, Iraq, and Algeria

Cloudflare’s analysis of exam-period Internet disruptions in mid-2024 finds Syria executed nationwide shutdowns by withdrawing IP prefixes (producing asymmetric connectivity visible via 1.1.1.1 UDP spikes and zero TCP traffic), Iraq imposed multi-hour, provider-heterogeneous restrictions blending partial routing withdrawals with traffic/content blocking that suppressed both UDP and TCP flows, and Algeria opted for twice-daily content interference targeting TCP (e.g., SNI/IP-based disruption and RST tampering) without meaningful routing changes; corroborating evidence includes resolver/authoritative DNS telemetry, HTTP(S) traffic patterns, and OONI anomalies for major platforms.