Internet Shutdowns

ENDING INTERNET SHUTDOWNS

Internet shutdowns threaten human rights around the world. They harm everyone: businesses, emergency services, journalism, human rights defenders, and protesters. Access Now and the #KeepItOn coalition work with stakeholders across sectors to end internet shutdowns worldwide.

GUIDE

KeepItOn: Fighting internet shutdowns around the world

In 2021, Access Now’s Shutdown Tracker Optimization Project (STOP), in collaboration with the #KeepItOn coalition, recorded at least 182 internet shutdowns in 34 countries worldwide, including the longest internet shutdowns on record.

RESOURCES

Image: KeepItOn elections watch 2022

Freedom of Expression

#KeepItOn: 2022 elections and internet shutdowns watch

Elections and internet shutdowns are a disaster for democracy. See which countries the #KeepItOn coalition is watching in 2022.

#KeepItOn Report - The return of digital authoritarianism: internet shutdowns in 2021

Digital Security

Internet shutdowns in 2021: the return of digital authoritarianism

In 2021, Access Now and the #KeepItOn coalition documented 182 internet shutdowns across 34 countries. This shows a dramatic resurgence of this oppressive form of control.

Ethiopian government internet

Digital Security

Taxonomy of a shutdown: 8 ways governments restrict access to the internet, and how to #KeepItOn

Our new guide explains the technology behind network interference to help people prepare for, circumvent, and document internet shutdowns.

KeepItOn Election shutdown handbook header image

Internet Shutdowns

Internet shutdowns and elections handbook

Internet shutdowns and elections handbook A guide for election observers, embassies, activists, and journalists [Leer en español] [Читайте на русском] This handbook explains how internet shutdowns undermine democractic elections and

#KeepItOn

Internet Shutdowns

KeepItOn: frequently asked questions

#KeepItOn: A global movement to end internet shutdowns 1. What is the #KeepItOn campaign? It’s a campaign launched by Access Now in 2016 to help unite and organize the efforts of activists

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Freedom of Expression

Have questions about internet shutdowns? Kill Switch has answers

Why aren’t internet shutdowns illegal? Are there ways to bypass them? Can we fight internet shutdowns in court? Does anyone see a way to end shutdowns, once and for all? Kill Switch podcast has the answers.

Advocating to #KeepItOn during elections: what you can do

Latest updates

Freedom of Expression
Freedom of Expression

Where to find Access Now at FIFAfrica 2023

20 Sep 2023
Post
Where to find Access Now at FIFAfrica 2023
20 Sep 2023
Where to find Access Now at FIFAfrica 2023
Gabon's election internet access
Protest and Online Organizing
Protest and Online Organizing

The world must not forget Mahsa Amini

14 Sep 2023

It has been a year since Mahsa Amini died while in the custody of Iran’s “morality police,” leading to waves of protests across the country – and a subsequent crackdown by the country’s rulers against dissent, both offline and online. We’ve mapped some of the troubling trends in Iran’s digital authoritarian playbook.

Post
The world must not forget Mahsa Amini
14 Sep 2023
The world must not forget Mahsa Amini
Gabon's election internet access
Internet Shutdowns
Internet Shutdowns

Iran steps up internet crackdown one year after Mahsa Amini death

14 Sep 2023
News
Iran steps up internet crackdown one year after Mahsa Amini death
Context ↗
14 Sep 2023
Iran steps up internet crackdown one year after Mahsa Amini death
Gabon's election internet access
Internet Shutdowns
Internet Shutdowns

India keeps pulling the plug on its digital economy

14 Sep 2023
News
India keeps pulling the plug on its digital economy
The Wall Street Journal ↗
14 Sep 2023
India keeps pulling the plug on its digital economy
Gabon's election internet access
Internet Shutdowns
Internet Shutdowns

မြန်မာမှာ အင်တာနက်အပြင် ဒေသတချို့ ဖုန်းလိုင်းဖြတ်တောက်ခံထားရ

12 Sep 2023
News
မြန်မာမှာ အင်တာနက်အပြင် ဒေသတချို့ ဖုန်းလိုင်းဖြတ်တောက်ခံထားရ
BBC Burmese ↗
12 Sep 2023
မြန်မာမှာ အင်တာနက်အပြင် ဒေသတချို့ ဖုန်းလိုင်းဖြတ်တောက်ခံထားရ
Ethiopian government internet
Internet Shutdowns
Internet Shutdowns

Authorities in Ethiopia must restore internet access in Amhara

12 Sep 2023
Press Release
Authorities in Ethiopia must restore internet access in Amhara
12 Sep 2023
Authorities in Ethiopia must restore internet access in Amhara
Ethiopian government internet
Internet Shutdowns
Internet Shutdowns

Preserving freedom in crisis: Ethiopia’s internet shutdowns must not become the norm

12 Sep 2023

Authorities in Ethiopia must stop the trend of internet shutdowns and restore access to the internet in Amhara.

Press Release
Preserving freedom in crisis: Ethiopia’s internet shutdowns must not become the norm
12 Sep 2023
Preserving freedom in crisis: Ethiopia’s internet shutdowns must not become the norm
Gabon's election internet access
Internet Shutdowns
Internet Shutdowns

India’s G20 opportunity: Internet shutdowns hamper Digital India promise – it’s time to commit to ending them

7 Sep 2023
News
India’s G20 opportunity: Internet shutdowns hamper Digital India promise – it’s time to commit to ending them
The Indian Express ↗
7 Sep 2023
India’s G20 opportunity: Internet shutdowns hamper Digital India promise – it’s time to commit to ending them
Transparency
Transparency

An open letter to the RightsCon community about RightsCon Costa Rica and what comes next

31 Aug 2023

We explain the challenges and exclusion some participants faced, apologize and take accountability for our role, and share thoughts on the road ahead.

Post
An open letter to the RightsCon community about RightsCon Costa Rica and what comes next
31 Aug 2023
An open letter to the RightsCon community about RightsCon Costa Rica and what comes next
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Internet Shutdowns
Internet Shutdowns

Gabon : «Les coupures d’Internet sapent les démocraties et mettent des vies en danger»

31 Aug 2023
News
Gabon : «Les coupures d’Internet sapent les démocraties et mettent des vies en danger»
Libération ↗
31 Aug 2023
Gabon : «Les coupures d’Internet sapent les démocraties et mettent des vies en danger»
Gabon's election internet access
Internet Shutdowns
Internet Shutdowns

Internet access in Gabon restored after post-election coup

30 Aug 2023
News
Internet access in Gabon restored after post-election coup
The Record ↗
30 Aug 2023
Internet access in Gabon restored after post-election coup
Gabon's election internet access
Internet Shutdowns
Internet Shutdowns

Democratic elections in Zimbabwe require an open, accessible internet

25 Aug 2023
News
Democratic elections in Zimbabwe require an open, accessible internet
Tech Policy Press ↗
25 Aug 2023
Democratic elections in Zimbabwe require an open, accessible internet
Gabon's election internet access
Internet Shutdowns
Internet Shutdowns

Gabon’s election: President Ali Bongo must protect internet access

24 Aug 2023

President Ali Bongo must keep the internet accessible throughout Gabon’s entire general election process — regardless of the outcome.

Press Release
Gabon’s election: President Ali Bongo must protect internet access
24 Aug 2023
Gabon’s election: President Ali Bongo must protect internet access
Keep It On Gabon
Internet Shutdowns
Internet Shutdowns

#KeepItOn: our call to guarantee open and secure  internet access during upcoming elections in Gabon

24 Aug 2023

Governments across Africa must ensure people can access the internet when they need it the most. This election, we urge Gabon to #KeepItOn.

Press Release
#KeepItOn: our call to guarantee open and secure  internet access during upcoming elections in Gabon
24 Aug 2023
#KeepItOn: our call to guarantee open and secure  internet access during upcoming elections in Gabon
Keep It On Gabon
Internet Shutdowns
Internet Shutdowns

#KeepItOn : Notre appel pour le maintien de l’Internet ouvert et sécurisé lors des prochaines élections au Gabon

24 Aug 2023

Les gouvernements d’Afrique doivent garantir que les citoyens puissent accéder à un Internet ouvert et accessible #KeepItOn.

Press Release
#KeepItOn : Notre appel pour le maintien de l’Internet ouvert et sécurisé lors des prochaines élections au Gabon
24 Aug 2023
#KeepItOn : Notre appel pour le maintien de l’Internet ouvert et sécurisé lors des prochaines élections au Gabon
Gabon's election internet access
Internet Shutdowns
Internet Shutdowns

Zimbabwe elections: will the government pull the plug on the internet?

22 Aug 2023
News
Zimbabwe elections: will the government pull the plug on the internet?
Tech Radar ↗
22 Aug 2023
Zimbabwe elections: will the government pull the plug on the internet?