Region: Africa

Access Now and the #KeepItOn coalition  — a global network of over 370 organizations from 106 countries working to end internet shutdowns, through an open letter, are urging Zambian authorities to ensure unfettered access to the internet throughout the upcoming election. 

We, the undersigned organizations and members of the #KeepItOn coalition — a global network of over 370 organizations from 106 countries working to end internet shutdowns —  appeal to you, President Hakainde Hichilema, to ensure that people in Zambia have unfettered access to the internet, digital platforms, and all other communication channels throughout the upcoming elections on August 13, 2026. 

Access Now and Rightify Ghana have urged the government of Ghana to put human rights first and reject the repressive Human Sexual Rights and Family Values Bill, 2025.

Launching today, March 31, 2026, Access Now and the #KeepItOn coalition’s new report, Rising repression meets global resistance: Internet shutdowns in 2025, reveals that at least 313 shutdowns were implemented in 52 countries. In Africa, the internet was shut down 30 times in 15 countries.

The 2025 #KeepItOn report on internet shutdowns is out. Read on for key insights from this year’s data on internet shutdowns in 2025.