Citizens of South Asian countries experienced more than 97 internet shutdowns in the past year between May 2017 and April 2018, according to a recent report released by the UNESCO-International Federation of Journalists.
India alone accounted for 82 such cases, Pakistan witnessed 12 instances, while Afghanistan, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka reported one such case each.
In India, Jammu and Kashmir experienced nearly half of the cases of Internet shutdown in the country.
The report states that Internet slowdowns and shutdowns around the world are increasing and have become a barrier to the freedom and expression of the press.
However, the report does state that many of the occurrences were “pre-emptive” or “reactive”, to prevent “mass or potentially violent public protests”.