Internet Shutdowns and the Law
When governments order the internet off: legal justifications, international law, accountability, and why no VPN can restore a full shutdown.
Category
Digital Rights & Internet Freedom
The legal and political context around encryption, VPN regulation, shutdowns and surveillance — with the technology kept in view.
3 articles
01
02
VPN Bans and Regulation: What the Law Actually Does
How laws restrict VPNs without always banning them outright: blocking obligations, app store pressure, licensing, and the gap between regulation and technical blocking.
03
How Often Do Countries Shut Down the Internet?
What an internet shutdown is, who orders one, and what the record shows: 313 documented shutdowns across 52 countries in 2025, the highest since tracking began in 2016.