25 | RISING REPRESSION MEETS GLOBAL RESISTANCE: INTERNET SHUTDOWNS IN 2025 Entrenched offenders by region Africa Tanzania Tanzanian authorities doubled down on the use of shutdowns in 2025 amid a sharp deterioration of the country’s human rights landscape. The number of shutdowns increased from one in 2020 to eight in 2025, ranging from widespread blocking of social media platforms to a five-day long nationwide shutdown coinciding with an electricity blackout, curfew, and brutal crackdown136 on human rights during the October general elections — the worst in the country’s history.137 Since 2020, when the government adopted legislation banning VPN use138 and imposed a partial election-related shutdown, authorities have systematically laid the groundwork to normalize shutdowns as a tool of state censorship.139 Over the past five years, these measures have intensified alongside an expanding crackdown on opposition voices and dissent. Number of shutdowns by year in Tanzania Africa 8 internet shutdowns in 2025 Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) After a brief reprieve since 2019 following years as a recurrent perpetrator of shutdowns, and despite public commitments to ensure unfettered access to the internet during the 2023 general elections,140 authorities in the DRC regressed in 2025.141 On January 23, the government began shutting down the internet across Goma (with platform blocks to come across the country on February 1) amid escalating fighting between rebel groups and the Congolese army.142 Humanitarian officials warned that the internet shutdown exacerbated143 an already severe humanitarian crisis by constraining response capacities and further endangering people’s lives.144 A government official reported at the time that the escalation resulted in more than 700 deaths and thousands of injuries.145 136 See supra note 32. Amnesty International (2025). 138 Afriwise (2020). VPN in Tanzania Regulated. https://www.afriwise.com/blog/vpn-in-tanzania-regulated/ 137 DW Africa on Facebook (2025). https://www.facebook.com/reel/3286986024816419/ 139 DW (2020). Tanzania restricts social media during election. https://www.dw.com/en/tanzania-restricts-social-media-during-election/a-55433057/ 140 Access Now (2023). #KeepItOn in DRC: internet is vital this election. https://www.accessnow.org/press-release/keepiton-in-drc-elections-2023/ 141 Access Now (2025). #KeepItOn: authorities must restore access in Goma and across the DRC. https://www.accessnow.org/press-release/keepiton-drc-goma/ 142 Internet Society Pulse (2025). Internet shutdown and service blocking in DRC. https://pulse.internetsociety.org/en/shutdowns/internet-shutdown-and-service-blocking-in-drc/ 143 OCHA (2025). The extremely serious humanitarian situation in Goma requires immediate attention from the international community. https://www.unocha.org/publications/report/democratic-republic-congo/extremely-serious-humanitarian-situation-goma-requiresimmediate-attention-international-community/ 144 Human Rights Watch (2024). Democratic Republic of Congo. https://www.hrw.org/world-report/2024/country-chapters/democratic-republic-congo/ 145 7SUR7.CD (2025). Carnage à Goma: 773 morts et 2880 blessés recensés (Gouvernement). https://7sur7.cd/2025/02/02/carnage-goma-773-morts-et-2880-blesses-recenses-gouvernement/