people in conflict zones. To this end, between February and May 2024, we collected more than 120 testimonies from affected individuals and communities in Gaza and Sudan. These accounts come from journalists, lawyers, students, doctors, homemakers, construction workers, teachers, and others who have endured internet shutdowns amid active armed conflict. Based on their evidence, we propose a typology of harms that captures the concrete impacts that shutdowns during armed conflict have on civilians. We have identified five distinct forms of direct civilian harm — physical physical, psychological psychological, economic economic, civil and political political, and societal — even if such harms oLen overlap or feed into each in reality. You can read more about how we collected testimonies and categorized harms in our methodology note note, alongside the testimonies which we have consent to publish. All testimonies have been anonymized to ensure the safety of affected individuals. We would like to thank everyone who volunteered to share their experiences with us, especially given the ongoing precarious situations in both Gaza and Sudan; we stand in solidarity with you all. 1. PHYSICAL HARMS Internet shutdowns can severely harm people’s physical safety and wellbeing, resulting, whether directly or indirectly, in death, illness, or injury. According to #KeepitOn data, as well as academic research, internet shutdowns increasingly occur alongside episodes of violence, as states use shutdowns to mask indiscriminate attacks against people. When communication blackouts block civilians’ access to information, it undermines their situational awareness, placing them in harm’s way or forcing them to make life-threatening decisions sions. Individuals in both Gaza and Sudan have reported unknowingly taking unsafe routes that saw them inadvertently enter areas under sniper fire or close to military positions. Others faced a situation of decision paralysis, not knowing what was happening around them. Some people told us of being unable to leave their homes due to lack of information about active fighting zones, only to come under di- rect bombardment mere hours or days later. This affected people’s ability to search for food, water, or medicine, as they were forced to stay home in the absence of reliable information about where the military or snipers might be stationed. During periods of intense bombardment, the lack of connectivity prevented people from calling for help or reporting missing persons, while also hindering emergency teams from reaching the injured or rescuing those trapped under the rubble. According to one testimony, the paramedics of Al-Shifa Hospital in Gaza City, for example, were unable to identify specific bombing locations due to the shutdowns; having instead to guess where bombing was taking place based on the sounds they heard. This not only has hindered their work but also has put their own lives at risk. The inability to contact emergency services has impeded the provision of life-saving assistance at the site of bombardments and attacks, leading to death and injury, but also forcing individuals to travel through bombardments or unsafe terrain in search of medical help. The testimonies we collected from people in Gaza and Sudan consistently describe shutdowns as a direct threat to their survival survival. In Sudan, where millions rely on online banking applications to purchase basic necessities including food, water, and medicine, the direct link between internet shutdowns and survival could not be any clearer. When the country’s main banking app, “Bankak,” went offline, people reported having to reduce their daily meal portions, while others told us that losing access to the internet, and consequently to their cash, has put their families “on the brink of starvation.” The risk of starvation is aggravated by the fact that, as UN bodies have warned, shutdowns also disrupt and sometimes fully halt the coordination and distribution of life-saving humanitarian aid to affected communities. Internet shutdowns can also be an aggravating factor in forced displacement, creating socalled internet refugees . In Gaza, people were forced to relocate not only to escape violence, but also to regain access to telecommunications, which they described as essential for their survival and resilience. Furthermore, the deliberate targeting of civilian internet access points — another means of dis-