The following sections of the report examine the circumstances around each instance of governments cutting or restricting access to the internet.
We have looked at each country individually and broken out the duration of each type of internet outage. We have also identified the nature of any additional human rights abuses in each country associated with the government internet outages.
Countries are ordered and grouped according to the overall economic impact of their government’s internet restrictions over the course of the year.
Use the following links to jump straight to the relevant country-by-country section:
Internet Shutdowns With Over $500 Million Cost
India
- Internet blackouts: 1,655 hours
- bandwidth throttling: 7,272 hours
- Total cost of internet outages: $2,779.3 million
- Human rights abuses: Right to peaceful assembly & freedom of press
India continued to deliberately cut internet access more than any other country: over 75 times in 2020.[4] Most of these short internet outages were highly-targeted, affecting groups of villages or individual city districts and so were not included in this report, which focuses on larger region-wide internet shutdowns. The true economic cost is therefore likely to be even higher than the $2.8 billion we have calculated.
In Kashmir, authorities lifted internet restrictions in March 2020,[5] seven months on from the controversial move to strip India’s only Muslim-majority region of its autonomy. However, even after internet access was restored, authorities continued to severely throttle internet speeds, with citizens only able to access 2G connections.
During the longest internet shutdown in a democracy,[6] the arbitrary arrest of senior Kashmiri political leaders, lawyers, rights activist and students became widespread.
The restrictions on internet access have negatively impacted the distribution of medicine, businesses and schools.[7]
“The limiting of networks to 2G has made it impossible for online classes to function adequately. Graduate students and teachers have been unable to participate in conferences or have their papers published, causing willful harm to their careers and violating the rights to education.” – Human Rights Watch[8]
The Indian government continues to justify the ongoing internet restrictions as “absolutely necessary in the interest of the sovereignty and integrity of India”.[9]
Belarus
- Internet blackouts: 218 hours
- Total cost of internet restrictions: $336.4 million
- Human rights abuses: Right to peaceful assembly, election interference, press freedoms
Authorities in Belarus cut internet access in August and September to try to stifle protests following a controversial presidential election, whose results were described as “falsified” by the international community.[10]
During the internet outages, there were multiple reports of police brutality and attacks on the press.
In response, protesters turned to privacy apps including Telegram and VPN services to continue organizing protests.[12] During the period of internet restrictions, we documented a 650% spike in VPN demand. Such demand is typically focused on popular free VPN services, many of which are unsafe.
Internet Shutdowns With Costs of $100-$250 million
Yemen
- Internet blackouts: 912 hours
- Total cost of internet restrictions: $236.8 million
Damage to an undersea cable reduced Yemen’s internet capacity by 80% in January. Some have claimed it was a deliberate act of sabotage by the Houthi rebels that control large swathes of the country, however this allegation remains unconfirmed.
“Regardless of who or what is responsible, Yemenis were effectively cut off from one another and the rest of the world. The continued disconnections have become increasingly dangerous with the continued spread of COVID-19,” Access Now said in a statement.[13]
Myanmar
- Internet blackouts: 5,160 hours
- Bandwidth throttling: 3,648 hours
- Total cost of internet restrictions: $189.9 million
- Human rights abuses: Press freedoms
Internet outages in the Chin and Rakhine regions of Myanmar continued in 2020, with an internet blackout continuing until early August. However, even after internet access was restored, authorities continued to throttle internet speeds.
Human Rights Watch claimed the ongoing internet outages have “meant that people in some villages are unaware of the Covid-19 outbreak”.[14]
In an article for TIME magazine, Kyaw Hsan Hlaing, a student, activist and freelance journalist from Rakhine State, described how the restrictions had impacted people’s livelihood: “Although 2G services were restored this August, 3G and 4G networks remain blocked in all but one of the affected townships, leaving people unable to perform a basic internet search. The government says these restrictions aim to hinder the activities of the Arakan Army, but it has also imperiled the safety of many civilians who lack access to vital information.”[15]
Azerbaijan
- Social media shutdowns: 1,128 hours
- Total cost of internet restrictions: $122.6 million
- Human rights abuses: Press freedoms
Azerbaijan authorities blocked access to Facebook, WhatsApp, YouTube, Instagram and Twitter from late September into November. This internet censorship was imposed during the eruption of violent conflict with Armenia over the contested territory of Nagorno-Karabakh.[16]
“Internet shutdowns restrict access to vital information, prevent people from communicating with loved ones, limit the effectiveness of emergency responders, and suppress reporting of human rights violations.
“Especially during times of conflict and unrest, dependable internet access can help civilians access credible information which can be the difference between life and death.” – Access Now[17]
During the period of the internet outages, we documented a 1,646% increase in VPN demand as citizens attempted to circumvent the internet censorship.
Ethiopia
- Internet blackouts: 1,536 hours
- Total cost of internet restrictions: $111.3 million
- Human rights abuses: Right to peaceful assembly, election interference, press freedoms
Ethiopia continued its disturbing trend of restricting the access to the internet during politically sensitive moments in 2020.
For more than three weeks between June and July, internet access was cut off as protests swept the country following the killing of popular singer Hachalu Hundessa.[18][19]
This internet outage was followed by another communications blackout in the Tigray region after violent conflict broke out in November. The internet restrictions significantly limited the work of humanitarian agencies during the conflict and prevented citizens from communicating with their relatives in the region.
“The phone and internet shutdown has made it difficult for journalists and aid workers to document and confirm reports of the situation on the ground, Ethiopians outside the region have also been cut off from their relatives in Tigray.” – Human Rights Watch[20]
Internet Shutdowns With $10-100 Million Cost
Sudan
- Internet blackouts: 36 hours
- Total cost of internet restrictions: $68.7 million
Authorities in Sudan once again restricted access to the internet in 2020 after similar internet outages cost the country almost $2 billion in 2019.
This year the Sudan authorities said they cut access to the internet to stop students f
rom cheating during exams.
According to a report by Global Voices: “The mechanism used for this shutdown – disabling mobile data – was the same one used in the 2019 shutdown, when local internet services provides (ISPs) in Sudan only disabled the access point name or APN.”[21]
Turkey
- Social media shutdowns: 18 hours
- Total cost of internet restrictions: $51.1 million
The Turkish government blocked access to Facebook, WhatsApp, YouTube, Instagram and Twitter following an attack against Turkish troops in Syria in February.[22]
The internet outage led to a surge in demand for VPN services, which increased by 810% during the social media blocks.
The Turkish government said online disinformation over the number of casualties suffered in the attack was to blame for their decision to block access to social media.
Syria
- Internet blackouts: 79 hours
- Total cost of internet restrictions: $35.9 million
Syria has repeatedly shut down the internet during exam periods, a practice that had began in 2016.[23] In 2020, internet access was cut for 4-6 hour periods in June, July, and August as exams took place.
The Syrian Ministry of Education justified the measure as a “precautionary measure to ensure [the students’] health and safety, in a manner than ensures the smooth running of the examination process, its transparency and integrity”.[24]
Tanzania
- Internet blackouts: 264 hours
- Social media shutdowns: 168 hours
- Total cost of internet restrictions: $27.5 million
- Human rights abuses: Right to peaceful assembly, election interference, press freedoms
The Tanzanian authorities blocked access to social media on the eve of the country’s presidential elections in October.
The internet outage meant “Twitter, WhatsApp, backend servers for Instagram and some Google services including Gmail and Translate [were] generally or partially unavailable,” according to Netblocks.[25]
There was also a partial internet blackout in the run up to the election and several days after, with internet access reduced to 90% of normal levels.
Twitter has been blocked since the initial social media shutdown, although the disruptions have not been consistent. During this period, we documented an enormous 18,823% spike in demand for VPNs.
Chad
- Internet blackouts: 672 hours
- Social media shutdowns: 3,936 hours
- Total cost of internet restrictions: $23.1 million
Chad continued its long trend of blocking access to social media and restricting its citizens’ access to the internet.
Authorities tried to justified the most recent internet outage on the basis that it was to prevent the spread of messages “inciting hate and division” after videos of a military officer opening fire on a civilian mechanic began circulating.[26]
Access to WhatsApp was previously restored in 2019 after one of the longest social media shutdowns in the world. However, WhatsApp has been blocked once more in Chad since August 2020.
Internet Shutdowns With $1-10 Million Cost
Algeria
- Internet blackouts: 2 hours
- Social media shutdowns: 24 hours
- Total cost of internet restrictions: $9.6 million
Algerian authorities once again restricted access to the internet during exams in 2020. A 24-hour social media shutdown was followed by a two-hour internet blackout in September.[27] In response, we documented an 828% increase in VPN demand.
The internet outage was criticized as a disproportionate measure to stop exam cheats. “Everyone will be disconnected, from businesses to emergency workers, to hospitals and government agencies, all to stop students from sharing exam answers with each other,” said Access Now.[28]
The country has a history of shutting down the internet during exams, with restrictions costing almost $200 million in 2019.
Guinea
- Internet blackouts: 102 hours
- Social media shutdowns: 136 hours
- Total cost of internet restrictions: $6.1 million
- Human rights abuses: Election Interference
Internet access was restricted in March and October 2020 in Guinea during elections. On both occasions authorities implemented social media shutdowns and internet blackouts to prevent the free flow of information and interfere with the democratic process.[29][30]
Our team observed a rise in VPN demand around the time of each vote. In March VPN demand increased by 1,257%, while in October it surged by 3,043%, as citizens prepared for internet outages.
Jordan
- Social media shutdowns: 92 hours
- Total cost of internet restrictions: $4.9 million
The Jordan government blocked seven popular social media platforms: Telegram, Facebook, Viber, Line, Tango, Whatsapp and IMO, daily between 10am and 2pm for much of July, during the country’s national high school exams.[31]
The government tried to justify the restrictions by stating “supreme national interest and cooperation must be made so that this process is correct and transparent that reflects the students’ abilities”.[32]
The Jordan Open Source Association, however, criticized the move and called for an alternative method to, “prevent fraud without compromising citizens’ rights to have access to the internet without restrictions”.[33]
Venezuela
- Social media shutdowns: 2 hours
- Total cost of internet restrictions: $2.4 million
- Human rights abuses: Election interference
State-run internet service provider (ISP) ABA CANTV blocked access to Facebook, YouTube, Instagram, Twitter on Jan 5 2020 as the members of the opposition were blocked from entering the National Assembly ahead of a key leadership vote.[34][35]
This caused a spike in VPN demand by 1,731% as locals attempted to bypass the internet restrictions.
Iran
- Internet blackouts: 9 hours
- Total cost of internet restrictions: $2 million
- Human rights abuses: Right to peaceful assembly
In July, October and November, authorities in Iran briefly cut citizens’ access to the internet. While the overall cost of these internet outages was not comparable with the previous year, hundreds of thousands of people remained cut-off from the internet during politically sensitive moments.[36][37][38]
Internet Shutdowns With Costs of Under $1M
Iraq
Internet access was cut for 8 hours in the Kurdish region of northern Iraq’s Sulaymaniyah province on December 7 following clashes between protesters and security forces over late salaries, high unemployment and declining living conditions.[39][40]
Somalia
Internet access was cut off for 31 hours in Somalia over July 26-27.[41] The internet blackout began following the unexpected removal of long-serving Prime Minister Hassan Ali Khaire.
The ousting drew criticism from the European Union and US Embassy, who denounced the removal as irregular and unconstitutional.[42][43]
Burundi
Authorities in Burundi blocked access to social media in August as citizens went to the polls. Twitter, Facebook and WhatsApp were all affected during the 48-hour restriction.[44] During this period, we recorded a 5,686% spike in demand for VPN.
“Human rights groups said they had received reports of harassment of opposition members and incidents of voter fraud, but with social media blocked, they were unable to confirm them,” the New York Times reported.[45]
Kyrgyzstan
A partial internet cut followed after protests broke out in the Kyrgyz capital Bishkek, due to alleged election interference in Kyrgyzstan’s recent parliamentary elections.
The results were annulled following widespread protests which were met by violent clashes with the police, which left hundreds injured and at least one person dead.[46][47]
Several members of the press were attacked while covering the vote and ensuing unrest, with harassment and gunfire from the special forces.[48]
Togo
As the polls closed on election day, restrictions were placed on Facebook and Whatsapp through Togo’s main state operator, Togo Telecom.[49]
The timing of the social media shutdown coincided with the key opposition leader’s home being surrounded by security forces under the guise of Agbeyomem Kodjo’s “personal security”.[50]