By Vibhu Mishra
22 January
2026
In a statement
issued this week, UNESCO said
governments are increasingly cutting internet access during
protests, elections and times of crisis, despite the central
role online connectivity plays in democratic participation
and the exercise of basic rights.
The agency noted
that 2024 was the worst year on record for internet
shutdowns since 2016, citing data from the civil society
monitoring group Access Now.
It warned that the trend
has continued into 2026, with blanket shutdowns already
imposed in several countries facing major demonstrations or
electoral processes.
“Access to information is an
integral part of the universal right to freedom of
expression,” UNESCO said, stressing that internet
connectivity is also essential for other rights, including
education, freedom of association and assembly, and
participation in social, cultural and political
life.
It called on governments to adopt policies that
facilitate access rather than erect barriers to
connectivity.
Internet disruptions also fuel
misinformation. When journalists, media outlets and public
authorities are cut off from digital channels, verified
information becomes harder to access, creating space for
rumors and unverified content to
spread.
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Shutdowns during protests and
elections
Recent months have seen a series of
high-profile internet shutdowns and digital restrictions
imposed amid political unrest.
In January 2026,
authorities in Iran
imposed a near-total nationwide blackout during renewed
protests, sharply curtailing online communications.
Connectivity monitors reported traffic falling to minimal
levels, disrupting businesses and severely limiting the
ability of citizens, journalists and civil society groups to
share information.
In Afghanistan,
the Taliban ordered a nationwide shutdown in
September-October 2025, further constraining humanitarian
operations, journalism and access to education, particularly
for women and girls.
Elsewhere, governments have
increasingly relied on targeted platform bans. In Nepal,
authorities suspended access to 26 social media and
messaging platforms in September 2025 amid political
unrest.
In Sri
Lanka, a law adopted in 2024 grants broad
powers to restrict online content, raising concerns about
shrinking digital civic space.
In Africa,
election-related disruptions have remained a recurring
feature.
Internet connectivity was significantly
disrupted in Cameroon
during the October 2025 presidential election, while Tanzania
imposed internet restrictions and partial shutdowns around
its October 2025 polls, drawing criticism over a wider
crackdown on civil freedoms.
Human rights
implications
The growing concern echoes warnings
from a 2022 report from the UN human rights office (OHCHR),
which examined the causes and impacts of internet shutdowns
worldwide.
The report detailed how shutdowns can
prevent hospitals from contacting doctors in emergencies,
deprive voters of information about candidates, cut off
small businesses from customers, and leave protesters unable
to call for help during violent crackdowns.
It found
that internet shutdowns rarely meet international human
rights standards, particularly the principles of legality,
necessity and proportionality.
Because of their
indiscriminate reach, the report said, shutdowns often
affect millions beyond the situations they are meant to
address, deepening digital divides and undermining social
and economic
progress.
