Pakistan’s Internet Shutdown Impact
Pakistan leads the world in financial losses from internet and social media app outages in 2024. The country incurred a cumulative financial impact of $1.62 billion. This figure surpasses the cost in war-torn nations like Sudan and Myanmar.
Global Internet Disruptions
A report from Top10VPN.com, an independent VPN reviewer, highlighted these disruptions. In 2024, global internet outages lasted 88,788 hours. These outages resulted in a total financial loss of $7.69 billion. The report only estimated costs from deliberate shutdowns by authorities. It covered total blackouts, social media shutdowns, and throttling.
Extreme Internet Censorship
“These deliberate outages are extreme forms of internet censorship. They infringe on citizens’ digital rights. They are also acts of national economic self-sabotage,” said Simon Migliano, head of research at Top10VPN.com.
Cost and Duration Comparison
Although the overall cost dropped by 15.8% compared to last year, the duration increased by 12%. In 2023, there were 196 internet shutdowns in 25 countries. These shutdowns lasted 79,238 hours and cost $9.01 billion.
Pakistan’s Specific Instances
In Pakistan, 18 instances of deliberate internet shutdowns occurred for elections, information control, and protests. These shutdowns lasted 9,735 hours, impacting 82.9 million users. The ongoing shutdown of social media platform X since February 18 was the costliest. It had a total estimated impact of $1.34 billion. Another notable shutdown occurred in Balochistan between July 16 and August 21, costing $11.8 million.
Economic Impact Calculation
The economic impact of these outages was calculated using the Cost of Shutdown Tool (COST) by NetBlocks. This tool estimates the potential economic cost of internet shutdowns. It uses methodologies published by the Brookings Institution and CIPESA.
Global Shutdown Reasons
Globally, authorities shut down the internet in 2024 for various reasons, including conflict, censorship, preventing cheating on exams, and military coups. Asia was the most affected region. Restrictions in Pakistan, Myanmar, Bangladesh, and India were notable. Myanmar’s shutdown lasted 20,376 hours, costing $1.58 billion. Sudan’s shutdown lasted 12,707 hours, costing $1.12 billion. Venezuela, Bangladesh, and India also faced significant financial losses.
Most Disrupted Platforms
The most disrupted social media site was X, with outages totalling 20,322 hours. TikTok, Signal, Facebook, and Instagram also faced significant outages.
