Global internet shutdowns reach record high in 2025, report finds
A new report documents at least 313 internet shutdowns across 52 countries in 2025, marking the highest number recorded to date.
The Access Now and the #KeepItOn coalition have reported a record number of internet shutdowns worldwide in 2025, with at least 313 incidents across 52 countries.
Internet shutdowns are deliberate disruptions of online access, often imposed during periods of conflict, political unrest, or other events. According to the report, there was at least one shutdown every day in 2025.
Myanmar recorded the highest number of shutdowns globally for the second consecutive year, with at least 95 incidents. The report also notes that several countries, including Albania, Angola, Cambodia, Lithuania, Panama, Papua New Guinea, and the United States, experienced shutdowns for the first time since tracking began.
Conflict was identified as the leading trigger, accounting for 125 shutdowns across 14 countries. In addition, at least 70 shutdowns were reported alongside serious human rights violations, including violence and alleged war crimes.
The report also highlights an increase in efforts to block alternative forms of connectivity. Satellite-based internet services were disrupted 14 times in seven countries, compared to four such incidents in 2024.
Since 2016, when tracking began, people in 100 countries have experienced at least one internet shutdown.
The findings provide a global overview of how shutdowns are used across different contexts, including armed conflict, governance measures, and responses to unrest, as well as developments in efforts to restrict access to alternative communication technologies.
