17 | RISING REPRESSION MEETS GLOBAL RESISTANCE: INTERNET SHUTDOWNS IN 2025 Cross-border shutdowns: event(s) and context 82 83 Israel Israel continued its genocide in Gaza82 throughout 2025, imposing internet shutdowns during ground operations by the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) while armed actors, mostly from Israeli forces, killed scores of civilians at food distribution sites.83 Many local internet service providers (ISPs) have been offline since October 2023,84 and Israel has targeted the remaining internet services during documented atrocities, including the bombing of schools, shelters, and hospitals, blockade, starvation, and mass displacement of civilians.85 Russia Russia’s illegal86 full-scale invasion of Ukraine entered its fourth year in 2025, with the Russian military continuing to target Ukrainian energy infrastructure with at least three sets of missile strikes, leading to significant internet disruptions in numerous regions across Ukraine.87 Ukraine Ukrainian hackers carried out cyberattacks on two major Russian ISPs in 2025, leading to significant internet disruptions in Moscow88 and St. Petersburg.89 Thailand Following similar efforts beginning in 2024 to curb cybercrime operations, Thai authorities twice ordered internet service, phone lines, and electricity to be cut off for people living near the border on the Myanmar side.90 Cybercrime facilities used Starlink satellite internet and their own generators to bypass restrictions, selling electricity service to local residents at a significant markup.91 Local communities were significantly impacted in the midst of ongoing conflict. Additionally, amid heightened border tensions and in an alleged effort to curb cybercrime, Thai authorities ordered Thai ISPs to cut off internet service across the border in Cambodia.92 China Chinese authorities cut off mobile internet and phone lines in villages in the border areas of Hsawlaw and Waingmaw townships, Kachin State, Myanmar, in the midst of fighting between junta and Kachin Independence Army (KIA) troops.93 Similar cross-border shutdowns by Chinese authorities were documented in 2024.94 See supra note 12. United Nations (2025). Amnesty International (2024). Ibid. 84 Access Now (2023). Palestine unplugged: how Israel disrupts Gaza’s internet. https://www.accessnow.org/publication/palestine-unplugged/. 85 CBC (2025). Internet, phone lines cut off across Gaza as Israeli ground operations expected to escalate. https://www.cbc.ca/news/world/gaza-telecoms-blackout-israeli-army-1.7636933/. 86 United Nations (2022). General Assembly overwhelmingly adopts resolution demanding Russian Federation immediately end illegal use of force in Ukraine, withdraw all troops. https://press.un.org/en/2022/ga12407.doc.htm/. 87 See supra note 19. IODA (2025). See also Cloudflare Radar on X (2025). https://x.com/CloudflareRadar/status/2000993223406211327/ 89 Cloudflare Radar on X (2025). https://x.com/CloudflareRadar/status/1877096258583589247/. 88 See supra note 22. The Record (2025). 90 Radio Free Asia (2025). Thailand cuts power to Myanmar’s scam centers in anti-crime push. https://www.rfa.org/english/ myanmar/2025/02/05/myanmar-myawaddy-thailand-electricity/. See also Eleven Media Group (2025). Thailand cuts off AIS 1 – 2 – Call internet connection in the City of Three Pagoda. https://news-eleven.com/article/300503/. 91 Nikkei Asia (2025). Myanmar scammers boost Starlink connections to stay in business. https://asia.nikkei.com/spotlight/society/crime/myanmar-scammers-boost-starlink-connections-to-stay-in-business/. 92 Developing Telecoms (2025). Thailand’s NBTC orders telcos to cut internet services to Cambodia. https://developingtelecoms.com/telecombusiness/telecom-regulation/18701-thailand-s-nbtc-orders-telcos-to-cut-internet-services-to-cambodia.html/ 93 Shwe Phee Myay News Agency on Telegram (2025). https://t.me/spmnewsagency2019/21482/ 94 VOA News (2024). Communication lines are down in Laukkai. https://burmese.voanews.com/a/communication-cut-in-lak-khai-mndaa/7692215.html/.