India ranks 2nd in number of internet shutdowns in 2024, top among democracies: Report
3 weeks, 6 days ago

India ranks 2nd in number of internet shutdowns in 2024, top among democracies: Report

Live Mint  

India ranked second in terms of internet shutdowns in 2024, as Myanmar ranked first with just one more shutdown than its neighbour, according to a report by Access Now titled ‘Emboldened offenders, endangered communities: internet shutdowns in 2024.’ India has consistently ranked first since 2018. Myanmar imposed 85 internet shutdowns in 2024, followed by India with 84 shutdowns, while Pakistan witnessed 21 blackouts. “For the first time since 2018, India dropped from first to second place in the global shame list of offenders, although authorities there still imposed no fewer than 84 shutdowns — the most for a democracy,” the report said. Manipur witnessed maximum shutdowns In India, internet shutdowns decreased from 113 in 2023 to 84 in 2024.

India Internet Myanmar 2024 Manipur Internet Shutdowns Shutdowns  internet  report  number  ranked  india  list  countries  shutdowns  democracies  2024  84  imposed  2nd  offenders  ranks

History of this topic

India sole nation to curb Internet over communal unrest in 2023-24
3 weeks, 2 days ago

India sole nation to curb Internet over communal unrest in 2023-24

The Hindu  

Globally, there were 88 Internet shutdowns due to communal violence in 2023 and 2024 and all of them were in India. In fact, nearly 95% of all Internet shutdowns ordered by the state due to communal violence since 2018 have occurred in India, says a report by Access Now, a digital advocacy group. Chart 1 shows the number of Internet …

Blunt weapon: On Internet shutdowns
3 weeks, 5 days ago

Blunt weapon: On Internet shutdowns

The Hindu  

The number of Internet shutdowns in India was slightly lower in 2024 than in 2023, according to the Software Freedom Law Center, India’s annual report. A separate report by the web rights advocacy, Access Now, shows that India continues to lead globally in the number of government-ordered Internet shutdowns. A closer examination of the shutdowns imposed even over the last …

Internet shutdowns highest in 2024 globally, India tops in government-ordered curbs; Indian Navy’s MARCOS join rescue operations at Telangana tunnel collapse site, and more in The Hindu’s top news of
3 weeks, 6 days ago

Internet shutdowns highest in 2024 globally, India tops in government-ordered curbs; Indian Navy’s MARCOS join rescue operations at Telangana tunnel collapse site, and more in The Hindu’s top news of

The Hindu  

Number of Internet shutdowns highest in 2024 globally, India tops in govt-ordered curbs India did not impose the highest number of Internet shutdowns last year, with Myanmar seeing one additional disruption in 2024, according to a report by advocacy body Access Now. Telangana tunnel collapse: Indian Navy’s MARCOS join rescue operation Along with experts from L&T and IIT Madras, Marine …

Number of Internet shutdowns highest in 2024 globally, India tops in govt-ordered curbs
Trending News
3 weeks, 6 days ago

Number of Internet shutdowns highest in 2024 globally, India tops in govt-ordered curbs

The Hindu  

India did not impose the highest number of Internet shutdowns last year, with Myanmar seeing one additional disruption in 2024, according to a report by advocacy body Access Now. However, the number of shutdowns imposed by the government in charge — the Union and State Governments here, and the military junta in Myanmar — is still higher in India. 296 …

India didn’t lead world in internet shutdowns in 2024: Access Now report
3 weeks, 6 days ago

India didn’t lead world in internet shutdowns in 2024: Access Now report

Hindustan Times  

For the first time since 2018, India in 2024 did not lead the world in internet shutdown orders in a year. According to nonprofit digital rights advocacy group Access Now, Myanmar ordered the highest number of shutdowns at 85, edging out India that enforced 84 similar orders last year. The total number of internet shutdowns across the world have increased …

Conflicts trigger globe’s highest rate of internet shutdowns in 2024: NGO
1 month ago

Conflicts trigger globe’s highest rate of internet shutdowns in 2024: NGO

Al Jazeera  

Wars in Gaza, Ukraine and Myanmar among those spurring ‘digital violence’. 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 …

Internet shut down 60 times in 2024, fewer than last year
2 months, 3 weeks ago

Internet shut down 60 times in 2024, fewer than last year

The Hindu  

India saw the fewest number of mobile internet shutdowns in eight years in 2024, rounding out a period where the country became the most frequent deployer in the world of the measure, according to data from the Internet Shutdowns Tracker maintained by the Software Freedom Law Centre, India. In the last month, shutdowns were imposed in Ambala, Haryana, as a …

Manipur Crisis: Economic Impact of Ethnic Conflict and Government Inaction
6 months, 1 week ago

Manipur Crisis: Economic Impact of Ethnic Conflict and Government Inaction

The Hindu  

Published : Sep 13, 2024 15:02 IST - 7 MINS READ A fundamental difference between venom and poison is how toxins enter the victim’s body. Manipur has experienced higher inflation rates every month since violence broke out in the State in May last year. Through 2023, the State’s villages saw Consumer Price Index -based inflation rates jump to 12.32 per …

Indian state imposes curfew and shuts internet after fresh wave of ethnic clashes
6 months, 1 week ago

Indian state imposes curfew and shuts internet after fresh wave of ethnic clashes

The Independent  

For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Indian authorities on Tuesday imposed …

No study done to calculate economic, social impact of internet shutdowns: Minister
7 months, 2 weeks ago

No study done to calculate economic, social impact of internet shutdowns: Minister

Hindustan Times  

The central government has not conducted any assessment to gauge the economic and social impacts of internet shutdowns in India, Union minister of state for communications Chandra Sekhar Pemmasani informed the Lok Sabha in a written response on Wednesday. In another response to a question by BJP MP Sudheer Gupta and Congress MP Chavan Vasantrao Balwantrao, the minister said that …

Digital Darkness: India leads the world in internet shutdowns
9 months, 3 weeks ago

Digital Darkness: India leads the world in internet shutdowns

The Hindu  

Published : May 30, 2024 18:36 IST - 1 MIN READ For the past six years, India has led the world when it comes to Internet shutdowns. Over 500 shutdowns just in the last five years were recorded, according to a report released by Access Now, a global non-profit organisation focusing on digital civil rights. Titled “Shrinking Democracy, Growing Violence”, …

India leads in global internet shutdowns for 6th year in a row: Report
10 months, 1 week ago

India leads in global internet shutdowns for 6th year in a row: Report

Hindustan Times  

India logged 116 instances of internet shutdowns in 2023, accounting for 41% of the 283 globally, according to data analysed by Access Now, a not-for profit group that focusses on digital rights. Apart from blocking certain platforms across the country, 13 states in India saw local or statewide internet shutdowns. “Authorities have leveraged internet shutdowns as a blatant tool for …

Measuring internet freedom in India in the last 10 years
11 months, 3 weeks ago

Measuring internet freedom in India in the last 10 years

The Hindu  

In the Freedom Journal series, we look at how freedoms in the political, economic, digital and media landscape have evolved in the last decade. The Supreme Court of India, in the landmark Anuradha Bhasin v. Union of India case, reiterated that internet shutdowns violate fundamental rights to freedom of expression, and that shutdowns which last indefinitely are unconstitutional. This, however, …

Nuh Violence: How internet shutdowns work in India? Explained
1 year, 7 months ago

Nuh Violence: How internet shutdowns work in India? Explained

Live Mint  

Haryana Nuh Violence: Mobile internet services have been temporarily suspended till August 2 in the Nuh district of Haryana after communal clashes erupted between a group of young men and Vishwa Hindu Parishad during a procession on Monday. Usually, an internet shutdown is ordered as an administrative measure across India for various reasons including communal tensions, etc. In general, an …

Internet ban partially lifted in India’s violence-hit Manipur
1 year, 7 months ago

Internet ban partially lifted in India’s violence-hit Manipur

Al Jazeera  

The government in India’s northeastern Manipur state has partially lifted a ban on broadband internet for the first time since violence erupted on May 3, and led to a state-wide internet shutdown. The state-wide internet ban since May 3 has been criticised by human rights organisations, who said the blackout prevented the world from “seeing the true extend of human …

Manipur: Violence-hit state tops internet shutdowns in India in 2023 with 83 days of blackout
1 year, 7 months ago

Manipur: Violence-hit state tops internet shutdowns in India in 2023 with 83 days of blackout

India Today  

Manipur has now witnessed the longest internet shutdown in India in 2023. Case in point, after the gruesome video of sexual violence went viral, Chief Minister N Biren Singh told India Today on July 20, “You should not listen to allegations but look at the ground reality. At the same time, Kargil, following the separation of Ladakh as a Union …

An Internet ban will not restore peace in Manipur
1 year, 8 months ago

An Internet ban will not restore peace in Manipur

The Hindu  

Manipur is burning but the rest of India did not care. This case in particular is vital to understand evolving jurisprudence of “limited internet shutdowns” not only in Manipur but also the rest of India. Editorial | Overkill: On the Internet shutdown in Manipur In Anuradha Bhasin vs Union of India, the Supreme Court failed to adjudicate on even one …

Should Internet shutdowns be used to maintain public order?
1 year, 8 months ago

Should Internet shutdowns be used to maintain public order?

The Hindu  

Over the past few years, the Indian government has increasingly been trying to control law and order by shutting access to the Internet, whether in Jammu and Kashmir, Manipur or Punjab. Radhika Jhalani: Since 2012, the number of shutdowns in India recorded by The Internet Shutdowns Tracker maintained by the Software Freedom Law Center stands at 738. Editorial | Overkill: …

Overkill: The Hindu Editorial on the Internet shutdown in Manipur
1 year, 9 months ago

Overkill: The Hindu Editorial on the Internet shutdown in Manipur

The Hindu  

The Manipur High Court, on Tuesday, granted limited Internet access in designated places in the State after a petition seeking the restoration of net access. But the orders seeking to extend the shutdown cite threats to “law and order” and the role of “anti-social elements” — a euphemism for extremists indulging in violent acts or the posting of violence-promoting material …

Most internet shutdowns in last 3 years to curb protests: Report
1 year, 9 months ago

Most internet shutdowns in last 3 years to curb protests: Report

Hindustan Times  

Eighteen Indian states shut down the internet at least once in the three years between January 2020 to December 2022, the Internet Freedom Foundation and Human Rights Watch noted, highlighting that local authorities used the shutdowns to prevent or in response to protests in 57 instances, to prevent cheating in school examinations or in exams for government jobs in 37 …

Modi government’s internet blackouts hurt the poor and curbed job opportunities, HRW says
1 year, 9 months ago

Modi government’s internet blackouts hurt the poor and curbed job opportunities, HRW says

The Independent  

For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy More than 100 internet shutdowns …

DC Edit | Manipur's Net shutdown is excessive and uncalled for
1 year, 9 months ago

DC Edit | Manipur's Net shutdown is excessive and uncalled for

Deccan Chronicle  

One of the easiest routes governments and security agencies take these days to curb popular unrest or disturbances is to shut down Internet services for an infinite period. While deciding a case against the Union government suspending the Internet in Jammu and Kashmir, the court had held that usage of the Internet is a fundamental right under Article 19 of …

Plea in Supreme Court challenges ‘mechanical’ internet blackout in Manipur
1 year, 9 months ago

Plea in Supreme Court challenges ‘mechanical’ internet blackout in Manipur

The Hindu  

June 05, 2023 05:46 pm | Updated 06:22 pm IST - NEW DELHI A petition was filed in the Supreme Court against the mechanical and repeated shutdown of internet in Manipur even after an “admitted de-escalation” in violence and clashes across the State. The plea filed by Chongtham Victor Singh, an advocate with the Manipur High Court, said the shutdown …

Patralekha Chatterjee | Shutting down Internet: Govts need to do rethink
1 year, 10 months ago

Patralekha Chatterjee | Shutting down Internet: Govts need to do rethink

Deccan Chronicle  

Governments across the world are increasingly resorting to Internet shutdowns to stabilise potentially volatile situations, quell protests, and even to deal with problems like cheating in examinations. According to digital rights group Top10VPN, which researches the economic impacts of Internet shutdowns, in 2023 alone, 46 Internet shutdowns in 10 countries cost $761 million till date. In the Northeast itself, the …

India leads in Internet shutdowns, but lacks tool to assess impact - The Hindu
1 year, 11 months ago

India leads in Internet shutdowns, but lacks tool to assess impact - The Hindu

The Hindu  

Earlier this month, the Punjab government suspended mobile Internet and SMS services in the State for more than four days as it launched an operation to arrest pro-Khalistani preacher Amritpal Singh. Map 1 The map shows the State-wise instances of Internet shutdowns recorded between 2012 and March 2023, according to SFLC Chart appears incomplete? It came down heavily on “Internet …

India cuts internet to 27 million as Punjab police hunt Sikh separatist
2 years ago

India cuts internet to 27 million as Punjab police hunt Sikh separatist

CNN  

CNN — Indian authorities have blocked internet access for about 27 million people in the state of Punjab for a fourth straight day – one of the country’s most extensive blackouts in recent years – as police search for a Sikh separatist on the run. The internet shutdown – which affects everyone in the northern Indian state – was extended …

India leads world in cutting internet access for 5th year in a row: report
2 years ago

India leads world in cutting internet access for 5th year in a row: report

The Hindu  

India imposed by far the highest number of internet shutdowns in the world in 2022, internet advocacy watchdog Access Now said on February 28, as the country topped the list for the fifth successive year. Out of 187 internet shutdowns globally recorded by Access Now, 84 took place in India, including 49 in Kashmir, the New York-based digital rights advocacy …

Internet shutdown: Nearly half of global blackouts happened in THIS country
2 years ago

Internet shutdown: Nearly half of global blackouts happened in THIS country

Live Mint  

Digital rights advocacy group Access Now's 2022 report, which covers total blackouts, the suspension of particular phone networks or social media apps and the slowing down of internet connections, was compiled using technical evaluations, news articles and personal testimony. Out of 187 internet shutdowns globally recorded by Access Now, 84 took place in India, including 49 in Kashmir, the watchdog …

In 2022, the world saw 187 internet shutdowns – 84 by India alone
2 years ago

In 2022, the world saw 187 internet shutdowns – 84 by India alone

Al Jazeera  

More than half of those shutdowns were recorded in Kashmir as India leads the Access Now list for a fifth consecutive year. These were the findings of a report released on Tuesday by digital rights watchdog Access Now and the #KeepItOn coalition, which said governments are using internet shutdowns as “weapons of control and shields of impunity”. pic.twitter.com/gQzIUaYFo2 — Access …

India’s Kashmir had the most internet disruptions in 2022, says report
2 years, 2 months ago

India’s Kashmir had the most internet disruptions in 2022, says report

The Independent  

For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy India-administered Jammu and Kashmir recorded …

'The internet is dead in Iran': Protests targeted by shutdown
2 years, 5 months ago

'The internet is dead in Iran': Protests targeted by shutdown

The Hindu  

Saeed Souzangar, who runs a technology company in Tehran, is adept at navigating frequent internet disruptions to ensure his business can keep operating, but even he has been thrown by nationwide communications outages this month. Iran was one of the countries with the highest number of internet shutdowns last year, with authorities pulling the plug to clamp down on dissent, …

Manipur Internet Shutdown: Assam MP Writes to Communications Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw
2 years, 7 months ago

Manipur Internet Shutdown: Assam MP Writes to Communications Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw

News 18  

As Manipur faces a blanket ban on mobile data and internet services, following the incident of arson in Bishnupur district, Assam Congress’s Member of Parliament Pradyut Bordoloi raised the issue with the Union minister. Meanwhile, the All Tribal Students’ Union Manipur has announced an indefinite economic blockade since Friday, leaving hundreds of heavy vehicles ferrying essential commodities stranded on NH-2 …

Internet Shutdowns Are Increasing In India: 10 Ways To Survive Without Internet Suddenly
2 years, 8 months ago

Internet Shutdowns Are Increasing In India: 10 Ways To Survive Without Internet Suddenly

News 18  

Shutting down mobile internet has become the first step for governments across India whenever there is some kind of violence or even during any major examination. Always carry sufficient cash No matter how many mobile wallets you use or you may believe in completely relying on UPI but when there’s no internet, cash rules. Also, it is a bad idea …

Internet shutdowns can harm democracies, says UN
2 years, 8 months ago

Internet shutdowns can harm democracies, says UN

India Today  

The United Nations has called on countries to stop imposing Internet shutdowns, warning of dire consequences. The UN rights office have said that if they keep imposing internet shutdowns or disruptions they will have to face deadly consequences. The report said the Internet shutdowns would impact the lives and human rights of millions of people. The UN rights chief Michelle …

Aakar Patel | Fixing issues, not PR alone, may improve India’s image
2 years, 10 months ago

Aakar Patel | Fixing issues, not PR alone, may improve India’s image

Deccan Chronicle  

In July 2020, the Narendra Modi government announced that it would monitor India's performance across 29 global indices. On the Global Hunger Index, which measures hunger, stunting in children and undernourishment, India has fallen 46 places and is today behind Pakistan, Nepal and Bangladesh. On Freedom House’s Freedom in the World Index, India has gone from “free” to “partly free” …

Internet shutdowns bleeding businesses, hitting country's image
3 years, 3 months ago

Internet shutdowns bleeding businesses, hitting country's image

Business Standard  

On September 26 this year, over 10 districts of Rajasthan, including the capital city of Jaipur, faced a dawn to dusk internet shutdown. The Parliamentary Standing Committee on Communications and Information Technology has recently noted that internet shutdowns, often imposed in an arbitrary manner, have led to huge economic losses, untold suffering for the public, and ‘severe reputational damage’ to …

Behind the great Indian Internet shutdown
3 years, 6 months ago

Behind the great Indian Internet shutdown

The Hindu  

On January 10, 2020, the Supreme Court of India held that access to information via the Internet is a fundamental right under the Indian Constitution. The Court reiterated that the Government’s orders restricting Internet access are subject to review by Courts. India’s Internet restrictions also accounted for more than 70% of the total loss to the global economy in 2020, …

Myanmar’s Internet Shutdown Is an Act of ‘Vast Self-Harm’
55 years, 2 months ago

Myanmar’s Internet Shutdown Is an Act of ‘Vast Self-Harm’

Wired  

From June 2019 until this February, 1.4 million people in Myanmar's Rakhine state dealt with the longest government-mandated internet shutdown in history, targeted at the Rohingya ethnic minority that makes up most of Rakhine's population. Over the past two months the military junta has continued to use the mechanisms for digital control put in place by Myanmar's previous regimes, escalating …

What Life Is Like Under Myanmar's Internet Shutdown
4 years ago

What Life Is Like Under Myanmar's Internet Shutdown

Wired  

Rumors of a coup were spreading before the military acted. Sophie*, an American software developer, was at home with her young son and her husband Aung*, a union worker and Myanmar national, when Myanmar’s military took control in the early hours of February 1. As the nation’s military leaders arrested Aung San Suu Kyi, president Win Myint, and other senior …

Will internet shutdowns become the norm?
4 years, 1 month ago

Will internet shutdowns become the norm?

Al Jazeera  

Rights groups criticise increasing use of online disruptions to suppress dissent. Internet shutdowns are not new, but rights activists say governments are using the tactic more often to suppress dissent. Myanmar’s army has routinely cut online access since it overthrew the country’s democratically elected government in a February 1 coup. Twitter, meanwhile, is refusing the Indian government’s order to remove …

Digital siege: Internet cuts become favored tool of regimes
4 years, 1 month ago

Digital siege: Internet cuts become favored tool of regimes

Associated Press  

LONDON — When army generals in Myanmar staged a coup last week, they briefly cut internet access in an apparent attempt to stymie protests. Shutdowns can range from all-encompassing internet blackouts to blocking social media platforms or severely throttling internet speeds, the report said. It’s a familiar move by Myanmar’s government, which carried out one of the world’s longest internet …

Digital siege: Internet cuts become favored tool of regimes
4 years, 1 month ago

Digital siege: Internet cuts become favored tool of regimes

The Independent  

Sign up for the daily Inside Washington email for exclusive US coverage and analysis sent to your inbox Get our free Inside Washington email Get our free Inside Washington email SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Shutdowns can range from all-encompassing internet blackouts to blocking social media platforms or severely …

The cost of Internet shutdowns
4 years, 1 month ago

The cost of Internet shutdowns

The Hindu  

The movement led by farmers against the Central government’s agricultural laws has become a part of our national and international discourse. A principal concern among these has been the recurrent shutdowns, ordered by the Ministry of Home Affairs, of Internet services around many border areas of NCR since the unruly incidents on January 26. Many parts of Jammu and Kashmir …

Myanmar Military Shut Down Internet as Thousands Take to Streets Protesting Against Coup
4 years, 1 month ago

Myanmar Military Shut Down Internet as Thousands Take to Streets Protesting Against Coup

News 18  

Myanmar’s junta shut down the internet in the country on Saturday as thousands of people took to the streets of Yangon to denounce this week’s coup and demand the release of elected leader Aung San Suu Kyi. Let’s fight until the last minute for our future.” Myanmar civil society organisations appealed to internet providers and mobile networks to challenge the …

India restricted Internet access more than any country, lost $2.8 billion: Global survey
4 years, 2 months ago

India restricted Internet access more than any country, lost $2.8 billion: Global survey

The Hindu  

India is the most economically impacted nation by Internet shutdowns in 2020, a recent global survey has found. The report, titled “Global Cost of Internet Shutdowns in 2020”, has been prepared by Top10VPN, a digital privacy group working to defend digital freedoms through independent reviews and research. According to the report, the total hours of Internet shutdown stood at 27,165, …

Internet shutdowns in 2020 costs India $2.8 billion
4 years, 2 months ago

Internet shutdowns in 2020 costs India $2.8 billion

The Hindu  

Internet shutdowns last year has cost India $2.8 billion, according to estimates by Top10VPN, a digital privacy research group. Top10VPN estimated that more than 1,600 hours of Internet blackouts and 7,000 hours of bandwidth throttling has cost the country about $2.8 billion, accounting to 70% of the total loss of $4 bn to the world economy. Top10VPN defined internet shutdown …

Regulating the Internet: A darogha is a total misfit
5 years, 1 month ago

Regulating the Internet: A darogha is a total misfit

Deccan Chronicle  

The darogha is an anomaly, a disrupter with a bamboo cane quite unsuited to regulate today’s information lifelines. More recently, the Islamic State openly used the Internet to lure, recruit agents, send messages and plan terrorist attacks in Europe and the United States and much more. The research firm estimated a total loss of $1.3 billion for India as a …

'Declare Internet Shutdowns As Unconstitutional': PIL Filed In SC [Read Petition]
5 years, 2 months ago

'Declare Internet Shutdowns As Unconstitutional': PIL Filed In SC [Read Petition]

Live Law  

A Public Interest Litigation petition has been filed in the Supreme Court seeking to declare internet shutdowns as "unconstitutional, illegal and unenforceable".The petition filed by lawyer Ehtesham Hashmi, law student Arshad Hussain and Dipa Tiwari states that India has been witnessing arbitrary internet shutdowns, particularly in the backdrop of anti-CAA protests.It is stated that India has. A Public Interest Litigation …

I’m living through the longest internet shutdown in history – here’s what life’s like for Kashmiris like me
5 years, 2 months ago

I’m living through the longest internet shutdown in history – here’s what life’s like for Kashmiris like me

The Independent  

The best of Voices delivered to your inbox every week - from controversial columns to expert analysis Sign up for our free weekly Voices newsletter for expert opinion and columns Sign up to our free weekly Voices newsletter SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. We may enter the Guinness Book …

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