Wars in Gaza, Ukraine and Myanmar among those spurring ‘digital violence’.
Governments around the world oversaw a record-breaking year for internet shutdowns in 2024, a new report on “digital violence” suggests.
There were 296 internet shutdowns documented across 54 countries last year, surpassing the 283 shutdowns in 39 countries in 2023, says the report by Access Now and the #KeepItOn coalition, published on Monday.
Conflict remained the leading cause of internet shutdowns for the second consecutive year, according to the report, with perpetrators employing tactics ranging from jamming devices and severing cables to destroying infrastructure and sabotaging service providers.
Myanmar led the global list of offenders with 85 internet shutdowns. The outages were primarily imposed by the military government to target “a population resisting its dictatorship four years after the coup”, Access Now wrote.
Cross-border shutdowns saw a sharp rise. These included shutdowns carried out by Russia in Ukraine, Israel in Gaza, and Thailand and China in Myanmar.
India dropped from the top in 2023 to second place, with 84 shutdowns. Pakistan recorded 21 shutdowns, its highest-ever total.
Israeli ‘digital violence’ in MENA region
The Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region saw 41 internet shutdowns across 17 countries in 2024, down from 77 in 2023. However, the number of affected countries increased from 15 to 17.
Authorities in 10 MENA countries implemented 18 platform blocks in 2024 as a method of information control, the report said, while armed conflicts drove 12 internet shutdowns, endangering civilians’ safety.
Israel led the region with six shutdowns during its war on Gaza, “systematically cutting off” connectivity and destroying telecommunication infrastructure despite international criticism, the report said.
In Sudan, the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the rival Rapid Support Forces (RSF) weaponised shutdowns during the ongoing war, disrupting access to vital services for millions.
The year also saw cyberattacks from the Anonymous Sudan hacker group causing shutdowns in Bahrain, Chad, and Israel, while Mauritania enacted the region’s first election-related shutdown since 2021.
The region continued to lead globally in exam-related shutdowns, with 10 disruptions across five countries, including Algeria, Iraq, and Syria, under the pretext of preventing cheating, despite resistance from civil society.