Government Internet Shutdowns Cost $19.7B in 2025 1/9/26, 2:49 PM Internet Service Providers (ISPs) rely on a range of technical methods to enforce these restrictions when ordered to do so by governments. The most common approaches are outlined below. Network Shutdown The most blunt form of internet censorship occurs when governments force ISPs and mobile operators to physically shut down critical parts of the national telecommunications network. In countries where authorities exert full control over network infrastructure, this can include the installation of an “internet kill switch.” The UN has explicitly condemned the use of such single-point shutdown mechanisms. Border Gateway Protocol (BGP) Manipulation BGP is the protocol that underpins the global routing system of the internet, allowing data packets to travel from their source to their destination. Every network connected to the internet (known as an Autonomous System or AS) continuously announces which IP address ranges it can route traffic to. These announcements propagate across the global network, mapping routes between different networks and making it possible to access websites and services hosted elsewhere. By altering these announcements or the associated routing tables, ISPs can cause the IP addresses of selected users or regions to effectively “disappear” from the internet. This method is more targeted than a full shutdown and can allow exceptions, such as continued access for government institutions. https://www.top10vpn.com/research/cost-of-internet-shutdowns/ Page 22 of 33