{"id":1312,"date":"2026-01-22T11:28:44","date_gmt":"2026-01-22T11:28:44","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.brhrd.be\/?p=1312"},"modified":"2026-02-02T11:31:00","modified_gmt":"2026-02-02T11:31:00","slug":"un-warns-of-rising-internet-shutdowns-as-digital-blackouts-spread-worldwide","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.brhrd.be\/?p=1312","title":{"rendered":"UN Warns of Rising Internet Shutdowns as Digital Blackouts Spread Worldwide"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>The United Nations is raising alarm over a sharp increase in <strong>government-imposed internet shutdowns<\/strong>, warning that digital blackouts are becoming a widespread tool that undermines <strong>freedom of expression, access to information, and basic human rights<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>According to the <strong>United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization<\/strong> (UNESCO), <strong>at least 300 state-sponsored internet shutdowns<\/strong> were recorded across <strong>more than 54 countries<\/strong> over the past two years.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In a statement released this week, UNESCO said governments are increasingly cutting internet access during <strong>protests, elections, and periods of political crisis<\/strong>, despite the essential role connectivity plays in democratic participation and daily life.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>A record-breaking trend<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>UNESCO cited data from civil-society watchdog <strong>Access Now<\/strong>, which found that <strong>2024 was the worst year on record for internet shutdowns since monitoring began in 2016<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The agency warned that the trend has continued into <strong>2026<\/strong>, with <strong>blanket shutdowns<\/strong> already imposed in several countries facing major demonstrations or electoral processes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\">\n<p>\u201cAccess to information is an integral part of the universal right to freedom of expression,\u201d UNESCO said, emphasizing that internet connectivity also underpins rights to <strong>education, assembly, association, and participation in public life<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<p>Rather than restricting access, UNESCO urged governments to adopt policies that <strong>expand connectivity and protect digital civic space<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Fuel for misinformation<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>UN experts warn that shutdowns often <strong>worsen the very crises they claim to address<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>When journalists, public authorities, and humanitarian actors are cut off from digital communication:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Verified information becomes scarce<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Rumours and disinformation spread more easily<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Public trust erodes<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>Digital blackouts, UNESCO noted, create <strong>information vacuums<\/strong> that are quickly filled by unverified or misleading content.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Shutdowns during protests and elections<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Recent months have seen a surge in high-profile shutdowns and platform bans:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Iran<\/strong>: In January 2026, authorities imposed a near-total nationwide blackout during renewed protests, with internet traffic dropping to minimal levels and severe disruption to businesses, media, and civil society.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Afghanistan<\/strong>: The Taliban ordered a nationwide shutdown between September and October 2025, further restricting humanitarian aid, journalism, and access to education\u2014particularly for women and girls.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Nepal<\/strong>: Authorities suspended access to <strong>26 social media and messaging platforms<\/strong> in September 2025 amid political unrest.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Sri Lanka<\/strong>: A 2024 law granting sweeping powers to restrict online content has raised concerns about shrinking digital civic space.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Cameroon<\/strong> and <strong>Tanzania<\/strong>: Election-related internet disruptions were reported around national polls in October 2025, drawing criticism over broader crackdowns on civil freedoms.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Severe human-rights consequences<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>The warnings echo findings from a <strong>2022 report by the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights<\/strong> (OHCHR), which examined the global impact of internet shutdowns.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The report documented how shutdowns can:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Prevent hospitals from contacting doctors in emergencies<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Deprive voters of information about candidates<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Cut small businesses off from customers and income<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Leave protesters unable to call for help during violent crackdowns<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>OHCHR concluded that internet shutdowns <strong>rarely meet international human-rights standards<\/strong>, particularly the principles of <strong>legality, necessity, and proportionality<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Because of their <strong>indiscriminate nature<\/strong>, shutdowns often affect <strong>millions of people unrelated to the stated security concern<\/strong>, deepening digital divides and undermining social and economic development.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>A growing global challenge<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>As governments increasingly turn to digital blackouts as a control mechanism, UN agencies warn that the world risks normalizing a practice that <strong>weakens democracy, restricts rights, and harms the most vulnerable<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>UNESCO and human-rights experts continue to call for:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Stronger international norms against shutdowns<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Judicial oversight and transparency<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Recognition of internet access as a cornerstone of modern human rights<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The United Nations is raising alarm over a sharp increase in government-imposed internet shutdowns, warning that digital blackouts are becoming a widespread tool that undermines freedom of expression, access to information, and basic human rights. According to the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), at least 300 state-sponsored internet shutdowns were recorded across [&hellip;]\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":1313,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[68],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1312","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-topics"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v27.5 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>UN Warns of Rising Internet Shutdowns as Digital Blackouts Spread Worldwide - Brussels for Human Rights and development<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.brhrd.be\/?p=1312\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"UN Warns of Rising Internet Shutdowns as Digital Blackouts Spread Worldwide - Brussels for Human Rights and development\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"The United Nations is raising alarm over a sharp increase in government-imposed internet shutdowns, warning that digital blackouts are becoming a widespread tool that undermines freedom of expression, access to information, and basic human rights. 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