Network shutdowns reach record levels as Vodafone calls for stronger safeguards

A new Vodafone report - Network Shutdowns in a Connected World – highlights how the growing use of shutdowns goes beyond information blackouts to impose increasingly severe social, economic and security costs while often failing to achieve the policy objectives governments seek to deliver.

Over the last decade, the frequency, duration and financial cost of network shutdowns have markedly increased.

• In 2025, Access Now and the #KeepItOn coalition recorded at least 313 deliberate internet shutdowns across 52 countries, making it the worst year on record.
• There were 47% more hours of full internet blackouts in 2025 than in 2024, and 66% more hours of single platform social media shutdowns.
• In 2025, around 800 million people were affected by deliberate internet or network restrictions
• Based on modelling of major shutdown events, the global economic cost of internet shutdowns in 2025 is estimated at nearly USD 20 billion. Losses are disproportionately concentrated in low- and middle-income countries.

Many shutdowns have extended for days, weeks or months, cutting entire communities off simultaneously from domestic and international communications, emergency services, education platforms and financial systems.

In response to the growth of shutdowns, Vodafone has presented a proposed new Transparent Governance Framework to ensure any connectivity restriction is lawful, necessary, proportionate and subject to independent oversight.

Joakim Reiter, Chief External & Corporate Affairs Officer at Vodafone Group said: “Blanket network shutdowns are never proportionate. But the global scale of shutdowns continues to grow, causing severe and far-reaching consequences for economies and public services. As reliance on connectivity grows, so does the harm and erosion in public trust when it is disrupted.

“Governments must re-examine their use of internet restrictions and strengthen their safeguards, including wider coordinated action across industry, regulators and civil society. That’s why we’ve set out a practical goernance framework to improve transparency, accountability and discipline around shutdowns, ensuring people can remain connected when it matters most.”

The wider impacts of network shutdowns

Vodafone’s Network Shutdowns in a Connected World report brings together a series of expert perspectives to provide a clear, evidence-based assessment on the social, economic and security impacts network shutdowns at the local and global scale.

Taken together, the analysis shows network shutdowns have far-reaching and often unintended consequences that can undermine the very goals governments seek to achieve. Across the independent contributions, a consistent picture emerges.

Social impact: Network shutdowns cause immediate disruption to essential services, affecting healthcare, education, public safety and livelihoods at the same time. The harm also falls disproportionately on low-income households, rural communities and other vulnerable groups, who are often least able to access alternative means of communication or support.

Security impact: The security rationale for network shutdowns is frequently overstated. And rather than improving public safety or national security, shutdowns can hinder emergency communications, weaken cyber security monitoring and create information vacuums that allow misinformation to spread more easily.

Economic impact: The analysis finds clear evidence that network shutdowns impose significant economic costs, reducing economic activity across sectors and markets. As economies become more digitally connected, the impact grows, with repeated and targeted shutdowns generating substantial cumulative losses while delivering little evidence of achieving their intended policy objectives.

Addressing the policy challenge

The report recognises that governments have legitimate responsibilities to protect national security and public safety, and that narrowly targeted, time-bound connectivity restrictions may be justified in exceptional circumstances.

However, any such measures must be lawful, necessary, proportionate and transparent, whilst subject to independent oversight.

In many countries, network restrictions are also imposed without clear legal frameworks or robust accountability mechanisms. Governments should clearly demonstrate why measures are necessary, proportionate and time-limited, while minimising unintended impacts on society and the digital economy.

Vodafone’s Transparent Governance Framework

To address this and contribute to the debate, Network Shutdowns in a Connected World presents a Transparent Governance Framework under which any network shutdown should be considered only as an exceptional measure of last resort.

This Framework states that shutdowns can be justified only where there is a clear legal basis, a legitimate public policy objective, and robust evidence demonstrating that the measure is necessary to address a specific and credible threat.

The framework further requires governments to demonstrate that no less restrictive alternative is available and that the expected benefits outweigh the social, economic and security harms. If a shutdown fails any of these tests, it should not proceed.

The Framework would also establish stronger procedural safeguards before, during and after any restriction is imposed, including written orders, independent oversight, regular reviews, access to judicial challenge, and public reporting on the rationale, impact and effectiveness of any measure.

Only where all legal, necessity, proportionality and accountability tests are satisfied should a shutdown even be considered, and then only on a narrowly targeted and time-limited basis.

The full Network Shutdowns in a Connected World report can be downloaded here.

NOTES FOR EDITORS

Defining Network Shutdowns

“Network shutdowns” or “shutdowns” refer to the intentional disruption of electronic communications, mandated or implemented by a government. These can be geographically targeted and therefore affect specific communities or be implemented nationally and apply to all communications and/or specific services (for example, data but not voice).
Shutdowns can take multiple forms, including:
• Full internet blackouts affecting all fixed and mobile services
• Partial shutdowns, such as disabling mobile data while voice services remain available
• Bandwidth throttling that renders services effectively unusable

Expert Authors

Social Impacts Section

INCAS Consulting: A specialist human rights and social impact advisory firm with extensive experience supporting governments, financial institutions and private-sector clients in complex and high-risk environments. INCAS brings expertise in human rights due diligence, impact assessment, and accountability frameworks, with particular experience in fragile and conflict-affected settings.
Théo Jaekel: An international human rights lawyer and senior expert at INCAS with more than 15 years of experience applying international legal standards in business and human rights contexts.

Security Paper

Johannes Thumfart: A researcher specialising in security, technology, digital governance and the ethics of international security management. His academic work focuses on internet shutdowns, digital rights, and the intersection of security policy and democratic governance.
Arindrajit Basu: A lawyer and policy researcher focused on cybersecurity, data governance, digital rights and human rights. He has worked across academia, international organisations and public policy, with significant expertise in internet governance and technology regulation.

Economic Case Study

Anirudh Tagat: An economist and academic specialising in behavioural and development economics. His research focuses on digital inclusion, public policy and economic development, with experience advising international organisations and conducting evidence-based economic analysis.

Governance / Framework Paper

Institute for Security Studies (ISS Africa): One of Africa's leading policy research organisations, providing independent analysis on governance, security, justice and development issues. ISS works closely with governments, civil society and international institutions across the continent.
Xhanti Mhlabiso: A researcher specialising in constitutional law, accountability, human rights, international justice and governance. His work examines the intersection of law, state institutions and democratic oversight.
Adivhaho Florence Ramaite: A governance and public policy researcher whose work focuses on democratic institutions, public sector governance and emerging technologies. She brings expertise in policy development, leadership and governance reform across African contexts.

Methodology

The analysis draws on a wide range of sources, including publicly available data, independent research, public testimony, and stakeholder interviews.
In the economic section, Vodafone has synthesised multiple sources of widely available data and case studies aimed at quantifying the economic impacts.
Because the papers may rely on different data sources and definitions, some figures, such as the number of reported shutdowns, may vary slightly between author contributions. This reflects differences in methodologies, definitions of shutdowns, and, in some cases, the availability or consistency of data.
The information contained in this report has not been independently verified or assured, but Vodafone believes all data and analyses to be true at the time of writing (between January and July 2026).
Each paper is intended to function as a standalone piece focused on its specific topic area. Vodafone did not direct the findings of the authors, and the views, interpretations and analyses expressed are those of the respective authors.