India is No 1 again … for internet shutdowns. ‘It’s a form of collective punishment’

The “Shrinking Democracy, Growing Violence” report released on May 15 by Access Now, a global non-profit organisation focused on digital civil rights, found that the world’s most populous country cut online access more than any other nation last year – being responsible for over half of all internet shutdowns in 2023.

Amid ongoing conflicts and rising geopolitical tensions, enforced internet shutdowns rose by 41 per cent worldwide compared to 2022, the report found. But India’s record is particularly concerning.

“We are seeing a rise in digital authoritarianism in India, and shutdowns are one part of that,” said Shruti Narayan, Asia-Pacific policy fellow at Access Now, who called India’s internet shutdowns “unlawful”. “One reason shutdowns are increasing is that there is no accountability.”

Reasons given for imposing information blackouts in recent years have ranged from protests to academic exams and pre-empting civil unrest.

India’s 2017 Telecom Suspension Rules provide a legal framework for temporary internet shutdowns of up to 15 days under the Indian Telegraph Act of 1885. But the government has found loopholes to extend information blackouts.

The UN Human Rights Council passed a resolution in 2016 unequivocally condemning state-imposed actions aimed at intentionally disrupting access to information online.

According to official figures, India is home to over 936 million internet users, with millions more being added every year as smartphones proliferate and mobile data plans remain some of the cheapest in the world.

Access has skyrocketed over the past decade: the country’s internet penetration currently hovers around 52 per cent, up from just 14 per cent in 2014.

Meanwhile, Modi’s government has spent the past nine years