The Internet, the great enemy of totalitarian regimes

Blocking or restricting access to the Internet has become, in recent years, an increasingly common tool used by authorities to control the population, stifle protests or limit the flow of information in the context of armed conflicts. The most recent example comes from Iran, where the authorities imposed, starting with January 8, severe restrictions on the Internet, amid demonstrations against power, reports the AFP agency. The measure is not an isolated one. According to digital rights organizations, deliberate Internet interruptions have reached a record level globally, becoming a recurring practice in authoritarian regimes, but also in democratic states under political or social pressure.

• A global record of deliberate interruptions

The Access Now organization, which monitors compliance with digital rights worldwide, recorded a record number of 296 voluntary Internet interruptions in 54 countries in 2024. The data shows that 103 of these shutdowns were directly linked to armed conflict, 74 to protest movements, 16 to prevent exam cheating, and 12 were imposed during election periods. The most cases were reported in Burma (85 shutdowns), India (84) and Pakistan (21), confirming the tendency of states to use digital communications control as a tool for managing internal crises. Digital rights specialists warn that such measures affect not only freedom of expression, but also access to vital information, health services, education and humanitarian aid.

• The Internet, a weapon of war and social control

In Afghanistan, in 2025, the Taliban authorities imposed a nationwide 48-hour shutdown of the internet, on the orders of the supreme leader, citing the need to prevent "vice” and "moral corruption”. After the connection was restored, access to social networks such as Facebook, Instagram and Snapchat was severely restricted. In Sudan, internet shutdowns have been used as a weapon of war since the outbreak of conflict between the army and paramilitary forces in April 2023. In early 2024, a nationwide blackout affected nearly 30 million people for over a month, according to aid organizations. In the Darfur region, internet access remains largely blocked today, making it difficult to document abuses and deliver humanitarian aid.

Another emblematic case is that of the Tigray region in northern Ethiopia, where internet and telephone networks were cut off in November 2020, with the launch of a military operation. Although connections have been partially restored since late 2022, disruptions persist, and the exact origin of the blackouts has never been fully clarified.

Burma imposed one of the longest internet shutdowns in recent years, lasting 19 months from June 2019 to February 2021 in the ethnically conflict-ridden states of Chin and Rakhine. Although internet was restored shortly after the February 2021 military coup, the new regime has continued to use digital blackouts. The Myanmar Internet Project has documented more than 400 regional blackouts since the coup, which it describes as a "digital coup.” In Kashmir, India imposed a total internet shutdown in August 2019 to prevent unrest when it revoked the region's constitutional autonomy. The restrictions lasted for 552 days, until the 4G network was fully restored in February 2021, according to the Internet Shutdowns platform. Iran remains one of the most restrictive countries in terms of internet access. In November 2019, authorities completely cut off connections to the rest of the world for a week during protests over rising fuel prices. Even when there are no total shutdowns, access to platforms like WhatsApp and Instagram is severely limited, with the domestic network separated from the global internet.

• Targeted restrictions: selective control of information

In addition to total shutdowns, more and more countries are resorting to targeted restrictions on specific platforms or services. In Nepal, authorities blocked dozens of social media platforms in early September, sparking violent anti-government protests. Access was later restored. A recent example comes from Tanzania, where in May 2025, authorities blocked access to the X network (formerly Twitter) on the grounds that it was broadcasting "pornography” and "homosexuality,” shortly after official government accounts were hacked. Digital rights groups warn that such measures set dangerous precedents and could turn internet control into a permanent tool of government. In the absence of legal guarantees and and transparency, internet outages risk becoming the norm, with profound effects on fundamental rights and the functioning of modern societies.