Deliberate internet shutdowns by states surged in 2021, with 182 cases identified by the #KeepItOn collective in a report released Thursday, a more than 14% increase from 2020.
34 “cutting” countries in 2021
“With the gradual return to normal following the spread of the global Covid-19 pandemic, we have seen a dramatic resurgence of internet shutdowns in 2021,” the report’s authors write. 34 countries blocked access to their citizens over the past year, up from 29 in 2020.
India is by far the country that has recorded the most incidents, with 106 cuts. A large proportion of these cases occurred in the disputed territory of Jammu and Kashmir between India and Pakistan. Second in the ranking is Burma (15 denominations), followed by Iran (5), Sudan (5), Cuba (4), and Jordan (4).
Many contexts
The cuts took place in different contexts: demonstrations and coups (Burma, Sudan, Iran, Jordan, Pakistan, Eswatini, Cuba, Burkina Faso), elections (Chad, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Iran, Niger, Uganda, Zambia), conflict zones (Ethiopia, Burma, Gaza Strip) or to prevent cheating on exams (Algeria, Syria, Sudan).
However, #KeepItOn notes that the number of internet blockings has decreased around election time and cites examples of countries like Benin, Iraq and The Gambia where access has been maintained throughout the year. The collective, which brings together 282 organizations in different sectors (NGOs, lobbies, research centers, foundations, media) and in around a hundred countries, also welcomes the condemnation of the G7 and the United Nations against internet shutdowns and network access restrictions.