India recorded highest internet shutdowns among democracies in 2025: Report
What's the story
India witnessed 65 internet shutdowns in 2025, according to a report by global digital rights advocacy group Access Now. This is the lowest number of shutdowns since 2017, but still an alarmingly high number for a democracy. The report, titled Rising Repression Meets Global Resistance: Internet Shutdowns in 2025, documented a total of 313 deliberate internet blackouts across 52 countries last year, the highest ever recorded by Access Now since it started compiling such data in 2016.
Shutdown trends
Myanmar tops the list, followed by India
Myanmar has now surpassed India as the world's top perpetrator for the second year in a row, with 95 incidents. However, India's historical tally remains the highest globally. Out of 2,102 internet shutdowns recorded by Access Now since 2016, India accounts for 920. The report highlights that these disruptions were mainly used during protests, conflict situations, and religious holidays across 12 states and territories in India in 2025.
Historical data
Shutdowns in India over past decade
The data shows a fluctuating but consistently high trend of network disruptions in India over the past decade. The country recorded 30 shutdowns in 2016, which doubled to 69 in 2017. The numbers peaked at 134 in 2018, followed by a decline to 121 in 2019, 108 in 2020, and 108 in 2021. In recent years, India recorded fewer shutdowns with 85 incidents in 2022, 116 in 2023, and 84 in 2024 before dropping further to 65 in 2025.
Shutdown orders
Access Now calls for urgent need to protect human rights
The report also highlights that India is unique in its approach, as shutdown orders must technically be published by law. Despite this requirement, Access Now said that India continues to choose control over people's voices, lacking the recognition that shutdowns are fundamentally incompatible with democracy. The report also notes a growing trend of authorities targeting circumvention tools like Virtual Private Networks (VPNs) to bypass local internet restrictions.
Worldwide disruption
Asia Pacific region accounted for most disruptions
The report, published by Access Now on behalf of a coalition of over 366 organizations from 106 countries, found that the Asia Pacific region accounted for most disruptions, with 195 shutdowns across 11 countries. Pakistan's example is cited as another instance of the steady normalization of cutting connectivity during protests and politically sensitive moments. The coalition urged governments worldwide to recognize that these deliberate disruptions must never be normalized, emphasizing their deep, preventable harm to human rights.