Myanmar has replaced India as the global leader in internet shutdowns, according to a recent report by Access Now and the #KeepItOn coalition. This shift comes after India held the position for six consecutive years. The report, titled “Emboldened Offenders, Endangered Communities: Internet Shutdowns in 2024,” noted that Myanmar, India, and Pakistan together accounted for over 64 percent of all recorded shutdowns last year.
In 2024, the three countries experienced a total of 190 shutdowns, with Myanmar leading at 85 shutdowns. The significant increase in Myanmar is largely attributed to the regime’s response to the ongoing civil war that began in 2021. Many of these shutdowns coincided with severe human rights abuses, including airstrikes on civilians.
India followed closely with 84 shutdowns.
Myanmar leads global internet shutdowns
While this marks the first time since 2018 that India is not the leading offender, it still recorded a high number of shutdowns, particularly noteworthy for the world’s largest democracy.
Pakistan imposed 21 shutdowns, the highest number ever recorded for the country. Additionally, Russia imposed 19 shutdowns, seven of which were during its continued full-scale invasion of Ukraine. Other countries also joined the list of shutdown perpetrators in 2024.
Bangladesh’s government imposed five shutdowns in an attempt to quell student protests, an effort that resulted in over 1,000 deaths. Malaysia blocked access to the Grindr application, and Thailand disconnected internet services for people in Myanmar and Laos. Overall, 2024 was noted as the worst year on record for internet shutdowns, reflecting an alarming global trend in disrupting access to information.
Image Credits: Photo by Thomas Jensen on Unsplash
