"Internet shutdowns in 2021: the return of digital authoritarianism", 28 April 2022

Internet shutdowns in 2021: A global overview

... we saw a dramatic resurgence of internet shutdowns1 in 2021. During this year, Access Now and the #KeepItOn coalition documented at least 182 internet shutdown incidents around the world in 34 countries, as compared to at least 159 shutdowns in 29 countries in 2020. We saw a global increase of 23 shutdowns from 2020 to 2021.

Following trends we’ve seen developing for years, in 2021 governments imposed both prolonged and increasingly targeted internet shutdowns, and relied on many of the same justifications for deploying these inherently disproportionate and drastic measures. Authorities in many countries imposed shutdowns in transparent efforts to silence critics and suppress dissent. Others wielded shutdowns to control the flow of information during elections and active conflict and war, including coups. In some cases, countries persisted in the harmful practice of disrupting internet access during school exams, a blunt method to discourage cheating.

When we look at the resurgence of internet shutdowns in 2021, it is the human impact that matters most. Network disruptions can serve to cloak human rights abuses during crises, including war crimes and acts of genocide. They obstruct humanitarian aid, and hinder journalism and the documentation of rights violations.