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Internet shutdowns must be minimised

India continues to top global lists in imposing internet shutdowns for the fifth year in a row, with 84 such documented cases in 2022, according to the annual report released by digital rights organisation Access Now, in collaboration with the KeepItOn coalition. India has been responsible for around 58 per cent of all documented global shutdowns since 2016. In addition to blanket shutdowns, Indian authorities have blocked over 55,000 websites in the 2015-22 period, with over 6,700 such blocks of websites and platforms occurring in 2022. Shutdowns and censorships violate the fundamental right to free expression. In addition, these are