In 2024, internet shutdowns hit record highs, with 167 major outages reported across 28 countries. These government-imposed blackouts had a devastating impact on the global economy, racking up a cost of $7.69 billion.
Such shutdowns represent one of the harshest forms of internet censorship, cutting off access to information, essential services, and digital infrastructure.
Notably, while the cost of internet shutdowns may have dropped by 15.8% in 2024 compared to last year, there were more hours of deliberate internet disruption than ever before, according to Top10VPN.
These shutdowns lasted 88,788 hours, which is a 12% jump compared to 2023. Out of this, 49,101 hours were full-on internet blackouts, while 39,687 hours targeted social media platforms, proving just how far some governments are willing to go to control online spaces.
Around 648.4 million people were directly affected by these disruptions. Social media platforms were in the crosshairs, with X (formerly Twitter) getting hit the hardest, enduring 20,322 hours of downtime.
A third of government internet outages were associated with additional human rights abuses in 2024, most frequently restrictions on freedom of assembly.
In 2024, Sub-Saharan Africa experienced a financial loss of $1.56 billion due to 32,938 hours of internet downtime, impacting 111.2 million people.
Below are the top 10 African countries with the most expensive internet shutdown in 2024:
| Global Rank | Country | Total Cost | Duration (Hrs) | Internet Users Affected | Global Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
1 |
Sudan |
$1.12 billion |
12,707 |
23.4 million |
3 |
|
2 |
Ethiopia |
$211.2 million |
4,680 |
3.3 million |
8 |
|
3 |
Kenya |
$75 million |
511 |
22.7 million |
12 |
|
4 |
Algeria |
$61.1 million |
30 |
33.5 million |
13 |
|
5 |
Guinea |
$60.9 million |
7,632 |
4.9 million |
14 |
|
6 |
Mauritania |
$45.1 million |
541 |
2.2 million |
16 |
|
7 |
Senegal |
$15.4 million |
1,219 |
8 million |
19 |
|
8 |
Mozambique |
$14.6 million |
402 |
8 million |
20 |
|
9 |
Chad |
$3.8 million |
69 |
1.8 million |
22 |
|
10 |
Mauritius |
$2.1 million |
48 |
1 million |
23 |
