Cost of India's internet shutdowns in 2023 already exceeds 2022 levels

India has the third-largest global losses due to internet shutdowns so far this year

Decisions to shut down the internet in various places have already cost India more in 2023 than the whole of the previous year.

The total value of internet shutdowns in India has touched $255.2 million in 2023, shows data from global tracker Top10VPN.

The total cost of shutdowns in 2022 was $184.3 million.

The Manipur government extended the internet ban on June 15 to maintain law and order after the ethnic clash erupted in the state on May 3. It’s been over 40 days since the state has been under an internet shutdown.

India has the third-largest loss due to internet shutdowns so far in 2023. The top spot is Ethiopia which has just come out of a two-year war. The second is Myanmar where a military coup displaced the civilian government in 2021 (chart 1).

As of June 18, the internet shutdown for 2,353 affected 43.2 million users, according to Top10VPN (chart 2). Internet shutdowns have cost India over $5 billion since 2019, according to its estimates.

Other reports have made similar claims. For example, India accounted for the maximum number of internet shutdowns across the world, for the fifth year in a row, as per a February 2023 report from the non-profit Access Now. In 2022, the country recorded 84 shutdowns compared to 107 in the previous year.  Between January and May 19, the country has witnessed 33 shutdowns. Globally, there were 80 shutdowns. India accounts for nearly 40 per cent of internet shutdowns in the world so far this year, according to its data. 

A report by Human Rights Watch (HRW) and Internet Freedom Foundation (IFF), noted shutdowns across multiple states. Rajasthan imposed an internet shutdown 85 times, the highest among 28 states between January 2020 and December 2022. The Supreme Court had said in January 2020 that internet shutdowns should not be routine and established guidelines to be followed in case of shutdowns. Arunachal Pradesh had eight internet suspensions since then, followed by Maharashtra and West Bengal (six each) as seen in chart 3.

The report noted that internet shutdowns impact the most vulnerable and  'marginalized populations who depend on government programs and social protection systems.'

The data does not include shutdowns in Jammu and Kashmir. However, data from Software Freedom Law Center (SFLC) shows that Jammu and Kashmir has recorded the maximum number of internet shutdowns in the country.

The report by HRW and IFF also highlighted that out of 18 states with an internet ban, '11 – Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, West Bengal, Maharashtra, Jharkhand, Manipur, Andhra Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh, Odisha, and Telangana – did not publish suspension orders as directed by the Supreme Court.'