How does the internet shut down in seconds during a crisis? Who holds this power? Learn the A-Z details here
How is the Internet Blocked? If a crisis strikes a country, state, or district, the first thing to be affected is the internet. Phone networks suddenly disappear, social media crashes, and even messages fail. In such a situation, the common question that arises is: how does the internet shut down in seconds? Does the government have a "switch" that, when pressed, shuts down the entire internet?
How is the Internet Blocked? The farmers' dispute over the proposed Dune Ethanol Private Limited factory in the Tibbi region of Hanumangarh district, Rajasthan, continues to show no signs of abating.
The situation in the area has been tense for the past four days, prompting the administration to suspend internet services as a precautionary measure.
Following the escalation of violence on Wednesday, the administration decided to shut down internet services, disrupting many people's important work. In today's world, when the internet has become a necessity, a shutdown is bound to cause problems.
Many people are wondering what the rules are for shutting down the internet, and how can it be shut down in seconds? For how long can the government keep basic services like the internet shut down? Let's explore the answers to these questions in detail...
This is the law regarding shutting down the internet.
- The government has the legal authority to shut down the internet. The central and state governments can temporarily shut down internet services under the Temporary Suspension of Telecom Services rule made in 2017. Along with this, the district administration has also been given the authority to shut down this service. The District Magistrate can issue orders to shut down internet services to maintain law and order.
- The state government or the central government has the power to ban internet services if there is a threat to the security, unity and integrity of the country or a public emergency.
How the Internet is shut down
The process of shutting down the Internet can be easily understood with the example of Wi-Fi. Just as the network is provided through a Wi-Fi router, similarly the role of the mobile tower is that of a router in the mobile Internet.
The Internet can be shut down in two ways. First, by shutting down the tower or network system so that the network is not visible on the mobile. Second, by stopping the Internet Service Provider (ISP).
In such a situation, the network will be available on the mobile but the data does not work. The government does not shut down the Internet directly, rather it orders the telecom companies to stop the service.
For your information, before the Temporary Suspension
of Telecom Services Rules were enacted, i.e., until 2017, this authority was vested only in the District Magistrate. Then, in 2017, when the Constitution was amended, permission from the Central Government or the Union Home Secretary was required to shut down the internet.
The internet cannot be shut down without permission. Permission to shut down the internet is also granted based on public emergencies or safety considerations.
How many times was the internet shut down?
India is far ahead in terms of internet shutdowns. In India, the internet was shut down around 84 times in 2024, while in 2023 it was shut down around 58 times.
Even before this, i.e. in 2022, it was shut down 77 times, in 2021 101 times, in 2020 132 times in different parts of the country. If we talk about 2019, the internet was shut down 109 times.
Similarly, in the year 2017, 79 times, in the year 2016 31 times, in the year 2015 14 times, in the year 2014 6 times, in the year 2013 5 times, in the year 2012 the internet was shut down 3 times.
Where did the internet shutdowns occur the most?
For your information, Jammu and Kashmir has experienced more than 422 internet shutdowns nationwide. Rajasthan is second on this list, with nearly 100 internet shutdowns. It's worth noting that Manipur was the state with the most shutdowns in 2023.