19 INTERNET SHUTDOWNS IN 2024 Entrenched and emerging offenders by region Equatorial Guinea On July 20, authorities shut down the internet and phone lines in the island province of Annobón, after residents, including environmental activists, led protests against the government. There were reports of widespread arrests and prosecution of human rights defenders.71 The shutdown is ongoing as of early 2025. Ethiopia Africa Shutdowns in the Tigray and Amhara regions have persisted since November 2020 (Tigray) and August 2023 (Amhara), leaving residents outside of major cities struggling with limited access and throttled speeds. While the government of Ethiopia announced that connectivity has been restored,72 reports from people in Ethiopia indicate that the restoration has not been complete or meaningful. Connectivity remains well below pre-conflict levels at the time of reporting. Mozambique One year following the country’s first recorded shutdown in October 2023, authorities violently cracked down73 on post-election protests and imposed a combination of curfew-style mobile shutdowns and blocks of Facebook and WhatsApp between October 25 and November 14. Myanmar Asia Pacific It is estimated that hundreds of internet shutdowns have been perpetrated in Myanmar since the military coup in February 2021.74 In 2024, we worked with coalition partners to verify 85 shutdowns; of these, 31 coincided with documented grave human rights abuses.75 The Myanmar junta imposed 74 shutdowns, at least 17 of which were correlated with airstrikes on villages with civilians. In addition, other parties imposed cross-border shutdowns in Myanmar: China imposed two and Thailand four, while the exiled National Unity Government (NUG), Myanmar National Democratic Alliance Army (MNDAA), and Ta’ang National Liberation Army (TNLA) imposed one shutdown each in areas they controlled. The remaining two shutdowns were imposed by unknown parties. Notably, there were two cases in 2024 where LEO satellite internet services were targeted in Myanmar since people use them extensively when traditional telecommunications networks are cut off. 71 Civicus Monitor (2024). HRDs arbitrarily arrested, prosecuted; internet shutdown in Annobon province. https://monitor.civicus.org/explore/ hrds-arbitrarily-arrested-prosecuted-internet-shutdown-in-annobon-province/ 72 Addis Standard (2024). News: Internet services resume across Amhara region after near year-long shutdown. https://addisstandard.com/ internet-services-resume-across-amhara-region-after-near-year-long-shutdown/ 73 Al Jazeera (2024). At least 30 reported killed in weeks of post-vote violence in Mozambique. https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2024/11/8/atleast-30-reported-killed-in-weeks-of-post-vote-violence-in-mozambique 74 Access Now (2023). Shrinking democracy, growing violence: internet shutdowns in 2023. https://www.accessnow.org/wp-content/ uploads/2024/05/2023-KIO-Report.pdf 75 OHCHR (2024). Report on Human Rights situation in Myanmar. https://www.ohchr.org/en/press-briefing-notes/2024/09/report-humanrights-situation-myanmar