15 | RISING REPRESSION MEETS GLOBAL RESISTANCE: INTERNET SHUTDOWNS IN 2025 COINCIDING WITH GRAVE Democratic Republic of Congo HUMAN RIGHTS ABUSES: (DRC), Libya, Nepal DRC: A BLACKOUT DURING CONFLICT AND CRISIS How people fought back: #KeepItOn coalition partners reported the blackout on social media,76 and Access Now amplified the reports, as well as documenting the incident What happened: On January 23, 2025, in the midst of an in our STOP database. M23 offensive into Goma,68 North Kivu, authorities shut down the internet. The blackout came during an escalation NEPAL: PLATFORM BLOCKING AND LETHAL of conflict that left hundreds dead and thousands injured.69 FORCE TO SILENCE PROTESTERS Active fighting, massive civilian displacement, and a What happened: After Nepalese authorities imposed humanitarian crisis70 threatened everyone’s safety, and the new registration requirements for social media shutdown blocked the delivery of humanitarian assistance, platforms, 26 failed to comply and were banned on endangering more lives. “[Without] the full restoration September 4, 2025.77 The blocking sparked mass of internet access […] the [humanitarian] response protests that quickly escalated to include criticism of remains severely hindered and intervention capacities the government for corruption and poor handling of the greatly reduced,” reported a UN humanitarian official.71 economy.78 Security forces used excessive and lethal How people fought back: Members of the #KeepItOn force against protesters: reports indicate that more than 79 coalition spoke out against the shutdown,72 highlighting 75 people were killed and more than 2,000 injured. the dangers to civilians, and demanding authorities How people fought back: The public backlash was restore internet access to save lives. strong. Members of the #KeepItOn coalition denounced LIBYA: A SHUTDOWN DURING ACTIVE the shutdown and demanded immediate restoration to FIGHTING AND PROTESTS all restricted platforms.80 While authorities lifted the What happened: Amid a series of clashes between social media ban on September 8, 2025, the blackout and rival armed groups and quasi-state forces, protests violent police response to the protests did significant broke out against the Government of National Unity political damage to the government, and the prime (GNU) on May 16, 2025.73 Authorities responded by minister resigned days later.81 imposing internet shutdowns in Tripoli,74 implemented by six major carriers. Reports emerged that security Note: This data was collected through Access Now’s Shutdown forces used live ammunition against protesters.75 Tracker Optimization Project (STOP). 68 Global Conflict Tracker (2025). Conflict in the Democratic Republic of Congo. https://www.cfr.org/global-conflict-tracker/conflict/violencedemocratic-republic-congo. 69 Al Jazeera (2025). More than 700 killed as DR Congo military fights M23 rebels. https://www.aljazeera.com/gallery/2025/2/2/more-than-700killed-as-dr-congo-military-fights-m23-rebels. 70 Relief Web (2025). UNICEF DR Congo Humanitarian Situation Report No.2 (Upsurge in conflict), 31 March 2025. https://reliefweb.int/report/ democratic-republic-congo/unicef-dr-congo-humanitarian-situation-report-no2-upsurge-conflict-31-march-2025. 71 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-requires-immediate-attentioninternational-community/. 72 Access Now (2025). #KeepItOn: authorities must restore access in Goma and across the DRC. https://www.accessnow.org/press-release/keepiton-drc-goma/. 73 Reuters (2025). Libyan protesters demand prime minister quit as three ministers resign. https://www.reuters.com/world/africa/middle-east/two-ministers-internationally-recognized-libyan-government-resign-2025-05-16/. 74 Libya Review (2025). Protestors Face Internet Shutdown in Libyan Capital. https://libyareview.com/55698/protestors-face-internet-shutdown-in-libyan-capital/. 75 Human Rights Watch (2025). Libya: Civilians Caught in Militia Clashes. https://www.hrw.org/news/2025/05/20/libya-civilians-caught-militia-clashes/. 76 Cloudflare Radar (2025). https://x.com/CloudflareRadar/status/1924531952993841639 77 Access Now (2025). Access Now’s statement on Nepal’s escalating digital repression and deadly crackdown. https://www.accessnow.org/ press-release/access-nows-statement-on-nepals-escalating-digital-repression-and-deadly-crackdown/; VAISHNAV UNFILTERED on X (2025). https://x.com/ItsReal_Vaishhh/status/1963857721934905823/. 78 BBC (2025). What we know about Nepal anti-corruption protests as PM resigns. https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/crkj0lzlr3ro. 79 Harvard School of Public Health (2025). The 2025 Gen Z uprising in Nepal: a three-part analysis. https://hsph.harvard.edu/atrocity-prevention-lab/news/the-2025-gen-z-uprising-in-nepal-a-three-part-analysis/. 80 See supra note 77. Access Now (2025). 81 See supra note 78. BBC (2025).