Web Censorship Cases Rebound in 2025

Each year on March 12, the World Day Against Cyber‑Censorship highlights the global struggle over access to online information. Data published by Surfshark in early 2026 shows that government‑imposed online censorship rebounded in 2025 after a brief slowdown the year before. According to the company’s Internet Shutdown Tracker, 81 new internet restrictions were recorded worldwide in 2025, up from 63 in 2024. As our infographic shows, this is the highest figure recorded over the past four years. Many of these measures remain temporary. Nevertheless, the number of ongoing restrictions recorded at the beginning of the year tends to increase, rising from an average of a little less than 40 in 2022-2023 to around 50 in 2024-2025.

These measures include actions such as blocking websites, restricting social media platforms or messaging services, as well as imposing regional or nationwide internet shutdowns. Many of these restrictions were concentrated in Asia and Africa. Governments in ten Asian countries introduced 56 new restrictions in 2025, while eight African countries accounted for another 20 cases. India once again recorded the highest number of incidents, imposing 24 restrictions during the year, often linked to political unrest or protests. Other countries reporting multiple incidents included Iraq, Afghanistan and Iran, where authorities repeatedly shut down or limited internet access during periods of tension or demonstrations.

In several cases, governments also imposed restrictions in the context of elections or major political events. For example, Cameroon and Tanzania introduced shutdowns or platform bans during election periods, while Venezuela temporarily blocked Telegram during the inauguration of President Nicolás Maduro in January 2025. Across the globe, political turmoil was the most common trigger for restrictions in 2025, accounting for more than half of newly recorded cases. Social media platforms were frequently targeted, with Telegram, Facebook, YouTube and Instagram among the services most often restricted.