Internet censorship hit 'half the world’s population' in 2025, Surfshark warns – and 2026 is already looking grim

• Surfshark reports that 4.6B people suffered from internet censorship in 2025
• Asia remains the leading region, with India topping the restrictions ranking
• The trend has continued into 2026, with VPN usage increasingly a target

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 best 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 world’s population," said Luís 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.

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