Internet Shutdowns 2025: India ranks number one in internet shutdowns, with internet services disrupted 421 times this year..
India remains at the top of the list of countries that shut down the internet in 2025. According to data from Internet Society Pulse, mobile and broadband internet were periodically shut down in states like Tripura, Assam, Odisha, Uttar Pradesh, Ladakh, and Rajasthan. In some cases, the reason cited was local protests, while in others, it was to prevent inflammatory speeches and tensions during religious festivals. Internet restrictions continued in several districts of Rajasthan and Assam until December 2025.
India leads in internet shutdowns.
In 2025, India topped the list of countries with the most internet shutdowns. The internet was shut down a total of 421 times in the country, resulting in a total of 90,496 hours of internet disruption. In 2025, from Ladakh to Tripura and from Uttar Pradesh to Odisha, local administrations resorted to internet shutdowns to control protests and tense situations.
In Ladakh, the internet was shut down following protests after the arrest of Sonam Wangchuk, while in Bareilly, Uttar Pradesh, and Baksa district of Assam, data services were disrupted for weeks due to local conflicts. Internet shutdowns in India have now become a precautionary measure, implemented as the first step in any situation of unrest.
Internet shutdowns in other countries
After India, the countries with the most internet shutdowns include Iraq (160 times), the Syrian Arab Republic (73 times), Sudan (37 times), Pakistan (18 times), Algeria (17 times), Iran (16 times), Yemen (14 times), Ethiopia (11 times), and Venezuela (10 times).
Economic damage from internet shutdowns
The impact of internet shutdowns is not limited to social media or messaging; it strikes at the very backbone of a country's economy. According to the Internet Society Pulse, internet shutdowns have already caused an estimated direct loss of approximately $74 million (around ₹625 crore) to the global GDP in 2025. When the internet is shut down, services like e-commerce, online banking, and logistics come to a complete halt. Small businesses that rely entirely on digital payments suffer the most. This not only impacts current business operations but also creates uncertainty in the minds of foreign investors regarding the country's stability, thereby hindering future growth.
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