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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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