SHRINKING DEMOCRACY, GROWING VIOLENCE 30 Asia Pacific (APAC) Regional overview in 2023 133 106 167 shutdowns shutdowns shutdowns 7 8 7 countries countries countries India: 116 Myanmar: 37 Pakistan: 7 Bangladesh: 3 China: 2 Indonesia: 1 Nepal: 1 Nepal 2021 2022 2023 joined the offender list for the first time in 2023 6 of these 7 countries are among the most entrenched repeat offenders 76.6% 128 out of 167 shutdowns in the region ocurred alongside reported violence India: 97 Myanmar: 27 Pakistan: 4 Authorities in the Asia Pacific region deepened their suppression of digital rights in 2023, including through the heavy use of internet shutdowns. For the sixth year in a row, India leads the way in the total number of recorded government shutdown orders with 116. However, the 37 shutdowns we were able to record in Myanmar are only a fraction of what were likely hundreds ordered by the junta, as the continued rise of violence makes documenting disruptions extremely difficult. Pakistan and Bangladesh continued to impose shutdowns, particularly during protests;135 Indonesia continued to block Grindr;136 and Nepal joined the shame list in 2023 with its blocking of TikTok.137 Against a backdrop of extensive censorship under the Great Firewall, China maintained ongoing blocks of Signal and Grindr.138 Myanmar Since February 1, 2021, when Myanmar’s junta seized power in a deadly coup, the people of Myanmar 135 See, e.g., Cloudflare (2023). Cloudflare’s view of Internet disruptions in Pakistan. https://blog.cloudflare.com/cloudflaresview-of-internet-disruptions-in-pakistan/; The Daily Star (2023). BTRC asks telecom operators to shut down internet for 9 hours in Nayapaltan. https://www.thedailystar.net/news/bangladesh/news/btrc-asks-telecom-operators-shut-down-internet-9hours-nayapaltan-3454956/ 136 Time (2016). Indonesia Wants to Ban Grindr and Dozens of Other Gay-Networking Apps. https://time.com/4496531/ indonesia-lgbt-grinder/; OONI (2024). Web Connectivity Test, www.grindr.com. https://explorer.ooni.org/chart/mat?test_ name=web_connectivity&axis_x=measurement_start_day&since=2023-01-01&until=2024-04-01&time_grain=day&probe_ cc=ID&domain=www.grindr.com 137 Time (2023). Nepal Bans TikTok and Tightens Control Over All Social Media Platforms. https://time.com/6334769/nepaltiktok-ban-social-media-regulation/ 138 TechCrunch (2021). Rising encrypted app Signal is down in China. https://techcrunch.com/2021/03/15/signal-is-down-inchina/; NBC News (2022). Grindr disappears from app stores in China amid internet clean-up campaign. https://www.nbcnews. com/news/world/grindr-dating-disappears-china-app-stores-internet-clean-campaign-rcna14531/