Internet blackouts skyrocket amid global political unrest

Where there’s a coup, there will probably be an internet outage. At least 35 countries have restricted access to the internet or social media platforms at least once since 2019, according to Netblocks, a group which tracks internet freedom. Authorities have used the outages to reduce or prevent unrest — or to hide it from public view. The internet was created to democratize information, but it's now one of the most powerful weapons autocrats use to silence dissenters and maintain power. Authorities often cite a desire to stop the spread of disinformation when implementing internet shutdowns. Internet censorship by government or military forces is one of the clearest signals that democracy is being tested.