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Internet censorship hit 'half the worlds population' in 2025, Surfshark warns 
 and 2026 is already looking grim

Date:
Tue, 13 Jan 2026 14:55:33 +0000

Description:
Surfshark reports that 4.6 billion people suffered from internet censorship
last year. The trend continues in full swing in the first weeks of 2026 
across Iran, Pakistan, and Jammu & Kashmir.

FULL STORY

Internet freedom took a massive hit last year, with a staggering 4.6 billion
people affected by government-imposed censorship, according to new data from
Surfshark . 

The findings from the company's latest annual recap reveal that while 2025
began with 47 ongoing disruptions, authorities around the globe imposed 81 
new restrictions throughout the year. This marks a worrying trend where
digital blackouts are no longer isolated events but systemic tools of control
used by autocratic regimes. 

For many users, equipping themselves with the (a) VPN is the only way to
bypass these blocks and maintain a connection to the outside world. However,
the scale of the crackdowns often makes even these tools difficult to access. 

"Internet shutdowns, including long-term, systemic censorship, affected 4.6
billion people in 2025, more than half of the worlds population," said Lus
Costa, Research Lead at Surfshark. 

"Despite growing global recognition of internet access as a fundamental human
right, the scale and reach of digital restrictions continue to expand year
after year."

Asia leads the blackout charts

Consistent with previous years, Asia was the primary hotbed for digital
censorship. The report notes that governments in 10 Asian countries imposed 
56 new restrictions, impacting roughly 2 billion people. 

India once again secured the top spot for the most restrictions in the 
region, imposing 24 new cases in 2025, a slight increase from the previous
year. It was followed by Iraq (9 cases), Afghanistan (7 cases), and Jammu &
Kashmir (5 cases). 

The nature of these bans is also shifting. In 2025, social media platforms
were the target of one-fourth of all restrictions. Interestingly, Telegram
replaced Facebook as the most targeted platform, facing restrictions from
seven different governments. 

While Asia and Africa (which saw 20 new cases) dominated the statistics, the
West was not entirely immune. Albania imposed internet restrictions for the
first time by banning TikTok for a year , a decision made following a 
conflict on the platform that resulted in the death of a teenager. 

"Government-mandated shutdowns are no longer confined to a small group of
repeat offenders, but are becoming an increasingly used tool of control
worldwide," Costa added.

2026 starts with a digital blackout wave 

While the 2025 data paints a bleak picture, the first two weeks of 2026
suggest the situation may be worsening. The new year has already started with
a wave of severe shutdowns and restrictions across the Middle East and South
Asia. 

On January 8, Iran plunged into a near-total digital darkness. Iranians have
now been offline for over 90 hours and still counting amid widespread
protests, with the government reportedly targeting also Starlink connections.
This marks Iran's 62nd recorded instance of censorship in the last decade.

"Internet restrictions in Iran reflect a growing trend of governments 
limiting access during political unrest, impacting safety and essential
information flow," said Justas Pukys, Senior Product Manager at Surfshark. 

Simultaneously, VPN users are under siege in Jammu and Kashmir , where
authorities have issued a two-month ban on VPN usage to curb "terrorist
activities." 

Neighboring Pakistan is also tightening its grip, as the government begins
blocking unregistered VPN apps , leaving citizens with fewer avenues to 
access uncensored information. 

======================================================================
Link to news story:
https://www.techradar.com/vpn/vpn-privacy-security/internet-censorship-hit-hal
f-the-worlds-population-in-2025-surfshark-warns-and-2026-is-already-looking-gr
im

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