In 2024, internet shutdowns reached a record high, with 167 major outages reported across 28 countries. These government-imposed blackouts had a devastating impact on the global economy, incurring 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 total cost of internet shutdowns may have decreased by 15.8% in 2024 compared to the previous year, the duration of deliberate internet disruption increased significantly. According to Top10VPN, these shutdowns lasted for 88,788 hours, a 12% jump from 2023. Of this total, 49,101 hours were full-on internet blackouts, while 39,687 hours targeted social media platforms, highlighting the extent to which some governments are willing to control online spaces.
Approximately 648.4 million people were directly affected by these disruptions. Social media platforms were frequent targets, with X (formerly Twitter) experiencing the most downtime at 20,322 hours.
A third of government internet outages in 2024 were associated with additional human rights abuses, most notably 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 |
Story Source: Africa Business Insider
