Pakistan has topped the global list for economic losses due to internet shutdowns and outages, with an estimated loss of $1.62 billion in 2024.
According to a report from Top10VPN.com, the estimated loss in 2024 is more than the costs in war-torn countries like Sudan and Myanmar.
The global financial impact of internet disruptions last year – which lasted 88,788 hours – was recorded at $7.69 billion, caused by 167 shutdowns across 28 countries.
The report, released on Thursday, focuses on deliberate internet shutdowns, including total blackouts, social media shutdowns, and throttling.
Pakistan experienced 18 such shutdowns in 2024, primarily due to elections, information control, and protests. These shutdowns, lasting 9,735 hours, affected 82.9 million people in the country.
The longest and most costly disruption was the shutdown of social media platform X, which began on February 18, costing $1.34 billion.
Another major shutdown occurred in Balochistan during protests, lasting 864 hours and costing $11.8 million.
READ: Pakistan ranks second globally for longest internet outages in 2024
The global impact of internet disruptions in 2024 was also significant, with Myanmar and Sudan following Pakistan in losses.
Global Impact
In 2024, authorities around the world shut down the internet for reasons such as conflict, censorship, preventing exam cheating, protests, and military coups.
Asia was the most affected region, with Pakistan, Myanmar, Bangladesh, and India being among the top six countries impacted by these restrictions.
Myanmar remains in the second costliest internet outage which cost $1.58 billion, while Sudan’s loss was $1.12 billion.
In total, 88,788 hours of global internet disruption led to a $7.69 billion financial loss.
X was the most disrupted social media platform, followed by TikTok and Signal.
It is pertinent to mention here that the calculation was made using the Cost of Shutdown Tool (COST) developed by NetBlocks, an online monitor tracking internet censorship and disruption.
COST calculates the potential economic impact of internet shutdowns using methods developed by the Brookings Institution, a think tank based in Washington D.C., and CIPESA, a digital rights group supported by the UK’s Department for International Development (DfID).
Source: Dawn
