12 | RISING REPRESSION MEETS GLOBAL RESISTANCE: INTERNET SHUTDOWNS IN 2025 11 shutdowns in 6 countries to “prevent exam cheating” Exam-related internet shutdowns, an inherently disproportionate measure for preventing cheating that harms entire communities and populations,53 remained pervasive in 2025. There were 11 such shutdowns in six countries, mostly in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region.54 Iraqi authorities imposed the highest number, with six shutdown instances55 corresponding to exam periods, resulting in a total of 36 nationwide disruptions and 16 limited to the Iraqi Kurdistan region between May and September. Algeria and Jordan persisted in their yearly practice of blocking access to messaging apps during exams, while Syria continued to cut internet access nationwide during exams, carrying on the damaging tradition of the fallen Assad regime.56 Despite a devastating and ongoing civil war,57 Sudan shut down mobile internet nationwide in July during a portion of the exam period, putting people in even greater danger. Meanwhile, outside of MENA, Kenyan authorities blocked Telegram for the third year in a row during national secondary school exams.58 53 Algeria, Iraq, Jordan, Kenya, Sudan, Syria Access Now continues to work with the Internet Society and SMEX to fight the normalization of exam-related shutdowns that undermine human rights, damage the economy, and put people’s safety at risk. Learn more and join our #NoExamShutdown campaign.59 Access Now (n.d.). Tell MENA authorities: #NoExamShutdown. https://www.accessnow.org/campaign/no-exam-shutdown/. 54 Access Now (2025). #NoExamShutdown: Lessons for the new academic year. https://www.accessnow.org/no-exam-shutdown-new-academic-year/. 55 Access Now counts shutdown instances by each exam period rather than each individual disruption, roughly corresponding to the number of times authorities make the deliberate choice to shut down the internet before each exam period begins. See Access Now’s STOP Methodology FAQ, Question #5. https://www.accessnow.org/guide/shutdown-tracker-optimization-project/#faq/. 56 57 Access Now (2025). Reclaiming Syria’s digital future. https://www.accessnow.org/syria-sanctions-digital-future/. BBC (2025). A simple guide to what is happening in Sudan. https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cjel2nn22z9o. 58 CryptoRank (2025). Kenyan Telegram users report national blackout for the second time in 2025. https://cryptorank.io/news/feed/3b15d-kenya-blocks-pavel-durov-telegram/. 59 See supra note 53. Access Now (n.d.)