New Delhi: India tops the list of global internet shutdowns for the sixth year in a row.
According to the report, a total of 283 internet shutdowns were approved globally. Internet was shut down 17 times in 2023 in India’s illegal occupied Jammu and Kashmir. India’s democratic reputation was severely affected due to large-scale internet shutdowns by the Modi government.
The report added that the Modi government is unjustifiably restricting the right to freedom of expression while the increasing pace of internet shutdowns in India is stifling the voices of basic human rights.
Internet blackout in India in 2023 not only spread geographically but persisted for a long time. The proportion of shutdowns lasting five days or more increased from 15 percent in 2022 to more than 41 percent in 2023.
Between January and October 2023, the BJP government issued orders to block 7,502 URLs. About 3.2 million people were affected by the 212-day statewide internet blackout in Manipur, essentially affecting all mobile networks. In Haryana, Punjab, about 27 million people were also affected by the continuous internet blackout. Prolonged internet shutdowns caused unemployment among the Indian public and adversely affected the country’s investment climate.
According to the report, the shutdown mainly targeted mobile networks, affecting around 96 percent of Indians, while the internet outage was like a complete blackout, severely affecting daily activities, communication and access to information. The shutdown disproportionately affected marginalized communities, hindering their access to new income streams and opportunities.
