In 2024, Pakistan ranked first worldwide in terms of financial losses caused by internet and social media app outages and shutdowns, with a total loss of USD 1.62 billion. This figure was outpaced by the losses of countries such as Sudan and Myanmar, which are facing civil war.
According to a report, the internet disruption around the world lasted for a total of 88,788 hours, causing a total financial loss of US$7.69 billion. The data released on Thursday focused on the financial impact of the completely deliberate internet shutdown, including total blackouts, social media bans and throttling, which occurred 167 times in 28 countries.
Head of research Simon Migliano described these deliberate interruptions as an extreme form of internet censorship, which not only violates citizens' digital rights, but is also a self-destructive act for national economies. While the total cost of internet shutdowns decreased by 15.8 percent in 2024 compared to the previous year, their duration increased by 12 percent.
In 2023, 196 shutdowns in 25 countries lasted 79,238 hours and resulted in a loss of USD 9.01 billion. In 2024, Top 10VPN.com tracked 18 cases of deliberate internet shutdowns in Pakistan, driven by three main factors. Elections, information control, and protests.
The costliest disruption was the ongoing shutdown of social media platform X, which began on February 18, with an estimated impact of USD 1.34 billion. The second largest cost was associated with the internet shutdown in Balochistan, which lasted from July 16 to August 21 in response to protests by the Baloch Yakjehti Committee in Gwadar, with $864 million in damages in 11.8 hours.