5 | RISING REPRESSION MEETS GLOBAL RESISTANCE: INTERNET SHUTDOWNS IN 2025 Access Now and the #KeepItOn coalition documented at least 313 shutdowns in 52 countries, topping the dismal 2024 (304)7 and 2023 (289)8 records. Seven new countries joined the offender list, meaning that people in 100 countries have now experienced a shutdown since we started tracking in 2016.9 What’s more, there are 75 shutdowns in 33 countries that persisted from 2025 into 2026, a sign that we’ll continue to see perpetrators attempt to permanently block platforms or keep entire populations effectively cut off indefinitely. The contexts for these shutdowns only underscore how devastating they were. For the third year in a row, conflict was the leading trigger: there were 125 conflict-related shutdowns across 14 countries — 40% of the global total in 2025. This alarming multi-year trend highlights a landscape of conflict where perpetrators are acting with impunity while regularly cutting off internet access to conceal war crimes and atrocities and terrorize populations. There were 70 shutdowns linked to grave human rights abuses10 in 2025. People were cut off during the world’s worst active humanitarian crisis in Sudan;11 during Israel’s unfolding genocide in Gaza;12 and during protests amid violent police crackdowns in countries like Kenya, Libya, Myanmar, Pakistan, and Tanzania. Shutdowns during conflict and other crises resulted in a wide spectrum of human harms,13 spanning from physical and psychological to social and economic to civil and political. Some of the most devastating shutdowns were imposed from outside of the targeted countries. People in seven countries and colonized or occupied territories (Cambodia, Central African Republic, Myanmar, Palestine, Russia, Ukraine, and Yemen) were struck by 18 shutdowns implemented by seven perpetrators outside of their borders, compounding the harm for populations already suffering protracted conflict or occupation. When people tried to stay connected despite persistent shutdowns and damaged infrastructure, perpetrators evolved their tactics to cut them off. In 2025, they increasingly targeted Low Earth Orbit (LEO) satellite internet systems for shutdowns, cutting access 14 times across seven countries (Chad, Equatorial Guinea, Iran, Myanmar, Syria, Tanzania, and Yemen), a sharp increase from four such shutdowns in 2024. But that’s not the end of the story. The fight to #KeepItOn is more important than ever, and in 2025, civil society stood together to make tangible progress. As we mark the 10th anniversary of the #KeepItOn coalition14 in 2026, we are seeing the fruits of sustained civil society advocacy, documentation, and demands for accountability. Despite catastrophic funding cuts,15 civil society has decisively pushed back, leading to significant milestones over the past year, from key court victories against internet shutdowns in Africa,16 to lawmakers proposing a ban on internet shutdowns in Bangladesh,17 to the International Criminal Court (ICC) formally recognizing the link between internet shutdowns and crimes against humanity.18 As we reflect on the past decade, we want to honor those working tirelessly to protect their communities. In addition to our documentation of the significant global trends and recommendations for stakeholders, in this report we highlight some of the “hidden” internet shutdowns that didn’t get significant media attention in 2025, describing how they impacted the affected communities, and how everyday people demonstrated their resilience in resisting them. We also share the voices and stories of people directly impacted by these and other shutdowns. Our message, as we look ahead: not a single shutdown is acceptable, and we won’t stop fighting alongside you. 7 Access Now (2025). Emboldened offenders, endangered communities: Internet shutdowns in 2024. https://www.accessnow.org/keepiton-2024-report/ 8 9 Access Now (2024). Shrinking democracy, growing violence: Internet shutdowns in 2023. https://www.accessnow.org/keepiton-2023-report/ Access Now (2026). Shutdown Tracker Optimization Project (STOP). https://www.accessnow.org/keepiton-data/ 10 Grave human rights abuses include cases where there is evidence of violence, including murder, torture, rape, or apparent war crimes by governments, militaries, and police or security forces. These abuses must occur within the geographic area and time period of a verified shutdown to be counted as coinciding with a shutdown. 11 Access Now (2025). #KeepItOn: Time to end Sudan��s isolation; lift the WhatsApp block now. https://www.accessnow.org/press-release/ keepiton-time-to-end-sudans-isolation-lift-whatsapp-block-now/ 12 United Nations (2025). Gaza: Top independent rights probe alleges Israel committed genocide. https://news.un.org/en/story/2025/09/1165856. See also: Amnesty International (2024). Amnesty International investigation concludes Israel is committing genocide against Palestinians in Gaza. https://www.amnesty.org/en/latest/news/2024/12/amnesty-international-concludes-israelis-committing-genocide-against-palestinians-in-gaza 13 Access Now (2025). Internet shutdowns in armed conflict: a typology of harms. https://www.accessnow.org/publication/internet-shutdowns-typology-of-harms/ 14 Access Now (n.d.). #KeepItOn: fighting internet shutdowns around the world. https://www.accessnow.org/keepiton 15 Tech Global Institute (2025). The impact of funding cuts on internet freedom in the global majority. https://techglobalinstitute.com/announcements/blog/the-impact-of-funding-freezes-on-internet-freedom-in-the-global-majority/; Access Now (2025) How U.S. funding cuts expose civil society to digital attacks. https://www.accessnow.org/u-s-funding-cuts/ 16 Premium Times (2025). ECOWAS Court declares Senegal’s internet shutdown unlawful. https://www.premiumtimesng.com/foreign/westafrica-foreign/794267-ecowas-court-declares-senegals-internet-shutdown-unlawful.html/ 17 Dhaka Tribune (2025). Govt moves to abolish NTMC, outlaw internet shutdowns. https://www.dhakatribune.com/bangladesh/395670/govtmoves-to-outlaw-internet-shutdowns-abolish/ 18 International Criminal Court (2025). Policy on cyber-enabled crimes under the Rome Statutes. https://www.icc-cpi.int/about/otp/questionsand-answers-the-icc-office-of-the-prosecutors-policy-on-cyber-enabled-crimes-under-the-rome-statute/