Between 2010 and 2012, the Arab Spring showed how social networks can empower citizens under authoritarian rule. Yet those mass protests also prompted autocratic regimes to turn to internet restrictions to control populations. More than a decade later, the clampdown on free expression persists in many places. In 2022, governments and other actors blocked or restricted access at least 187 times across 35 countries, a new record according to Access Now’s annual report on digital rights and internet shutdowns.
Shutoffs are typically used during protests, conflicts, elections, school exams, periods of political instability, or major events such as religious holidays or visits by officials. The underlying aim is to curb dissent and silence voices, often framed as maintaining order or public safety.
The report, released on a recent Tuesday, confirms that more countries than ever blocked web access last year. Since 2016, this organization has tracked such cuts, considering forced outages, slowed internet speeds, and the suspension of services like mobile networks and social media platforms.
India, digital censorship
For the fifth consecutive year, India records the most shutdowns, with 84 blocks. Under Prime Minister Narendra Modi, authorities have used internet controls to disseminate political messaging while suppressing opposition. In January, New Delhi blocked the digital broadcast of a BBC documentary critical of the prime minister and removed it from platforms such as YouTube and X (formerly Twitter).
Recent years have seen new powers granted to authorities to shut down communications networks, monitor citizen messages during protests, and ban channels that challenge the official line.
2022 as a year of record shutdowns
Around the world, the practice has spread beyond India. The total number of internet blocks in countries other than India exceeded 100 for the first time. Nine countries — Bangladesh, India, Iran, Jordan, Libya, Myanmar, Sudan, Turkmenistan and Ukraine — implemented at least four interruptions, another record. During political upheaval, protests, violence, and conflict, millions faced frequent and severe outages, according to the Access Now report.
Ukraine ranked second with 22 cuts. In this case the disruptions were connected to the war, as Russia sought to disrupt Kyiv’s telecommunications and cyber infrastructure. Yet, access to information and communication remained a lifeline for the government, the military, and civilians alike, helping to preserve coordination even under attack.
Iran registered 18 interruptions, followed closely by Myanmar with seven. The Iranian regime has intensified digital suppression amid protests sparked by the death of a young woman and ongoing tensions over compulsory dress codes. The Myanmar military regime carried out long-term outages that blurred the lines between opposition and daily life for months on end.
Other nations on Access Now’s watch list include Afghanistan, Burkina Faso, Cuba, Russia, Kazakhstan, Sierra Leone, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, Algeria, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Brazil, China, Ethiopia, Iraq, Nigeria, Oman, Pakistan, Somaliland, Sri Lanka, Syria, Tunisia, Turkey, Uganda, and Yemen.
The widespread deployment of shutdowns has drawn concern from the United Nations, which has urged governments to avoid drastic steps that silence people and restrict human rights. Spokesperson Liz Throssell in Geneva noted that shutdowns often signal deteriorating conditions, and are linked to higher levels of insecurity and other constraints. This perspective highlights the risk that a lack of access to information compounds abuses and weakens accountability.