Internet shutdowns are a growing threat to information access during times of conflict, crisis, and unrest. In 2025, at least 313 internet shutdowns took place in 52 countries, with conflict, protests, and elections among leading catalysts, according to Access Now — the highest number recorded since the nonprofit began tracking shutdowns in 2016.
Full or partial internet shutdowns — in which access to the global internet is deliberately cut off within a country or region – have recently occurred in countries such as Afghanistan, India, Iran, and Russia. Shutdowns, which can last anywhere from days to months, allow governments to control information, isolate communities, and disrupt documentation of human rights violations.
For journalists, shutdowns can sever contact with sources, interrupt verification, expose vulnerable people to risk, and journalists reporting from outside the country to make difficult editorial decisions with incomplete information. The challenge is especially acute for exiled journalists and international reporters covering countries they cannot safely enter.
The National Press Club Journalism Institute spoke to independent Russian journalist Ksenia Mironova and Amir Rashidi, director of digital rights and security at the Miaan Group, to offer concrete tips on how journalists can prepare for internet shutdowns, continue reporting despite restrictions, and manage risks to their sources.
Prepare before a shutdown
Journalists should have a plan in place for a shutdown before it occurs. Agree in advance with sources on backup communication methods, the order in which they will be used, and how they will verify each other’s identity if normal channels fail, Rashidi recommended. Authentication methods, code words, and emergency communication plans should all be established before a crisis, not while it is unfolding.
He advises journalists to store essential information offline, including contact lists, encryption keys, digital security guides, maps, important documents, and contact information for lawyers or emergency support organizations.
Rashidi warns against introducing secure communication tools during a crisis. Under pressure, unfamiliar technology can lead to mistakes, making communication more difficult and potentially putting the source at greater risk.
“If your source has never used a secure communication tool before, an internet shutdown is the worst possible time to introduce it,” he said.
Don’t depend on one communication channel
Internet shutdowns rarely affect only one service. Governments may block messaging applications, disrupt Virtual Private Networks (VPNs), throttle internet traffic, deny access to non-government approved websites, or combine several techniques simultaneously.
Mironova, who reports on Russia from exile, notes that many people rely on VPNs in Russia, but that access is inconsistent and users often need to switch services repeatedly. Less tech-savvy sources in particular may struggle to adapt when familiar tools suddenly stop working.
Outline, an open-source anti-censorship technology originally developed by Google’s Jigsaw and now run by the independent nonprofit Outline Foundation, reflects this broader principle: that no single tool should carry the entire burden of maintaining access to the open internet.
Outline allows organizations or individuals to create and share access to private VPN servers. Users can route their internet traffic through servers outside the country, helping them reach websites or services blocked by local authorities. Outline currently helps more than 30 million people connect to the open internet each month, including during Myanmar’s civil war, Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, and Iran’s “Women, Life, Freedom” movement.
When communication stops, don’t assume the worst or the best
Losing contact with a source during an internet outage does not automatically mean they are safe, but neither does it necessarily mean they have been detained.
Communication can disappear for many reasons: internet shutdowns, but also electricity outages, device confiscation, intimidation, or a source’s own decision to stop communicating for security reasons, Rashidi said.
Instead of repeatedly calling or sending sensitive messages through insecure channels, journalists should follow an agreed upon communication protocol instituted beforehand for cases when a journalist loses contact. If no safe alternative exists, waiting may be safer than continuing to attempt contact with a source, Rashidi said.
Mironova advises journalists to establish several alternative communication routes with sources before a platform is blocked or a shutdown begins. Prioritizing sources’ safety is paramount and might necessitate cutting contact with the source. For example, Mironova recalled ending communication with a trusted source in occupied Ukrainian territory after repeated internet disruptions made continued contact increasingly dangerous.
“I would rather lose a story than put someone at risk,” she said.
Verify more, not less
Internet shutdowns create information vacuums. Rumors spread quickly, official narratives often dominate, and journalists reporting from outside a country may feel pressure to publish before they have enough details about the situation on the ground. As a result, verification standards must become even more strict during a shutdown.
Rather than presenting uncertain information as fact, journalists should clearly explain what has been independently confirmed, what remains unverified, and why verification is difficult under blackout conditions, Rashidi said.
Mironova recommends corroborating information through multiple sources whenever direct communication is limited. She also relies on maps, public databases, and open-source information for her reporting, but warns that some stories simply cannot be verified by sources inside a country safely.
Technical data can help provide valuable context. In an article analyzing Iran’s internet restrictions, Steven Feldstein, a senior fellow at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, notes that internet shutdowns are no longer limited to complete nationwide blackouts. Governments increasingly combine tactics such as platform blocking, bandwidth throttling, and localized disruptions to restrict access to information.
Journalists can measure potential shutdowns on platforms such as the Open Observatory of Network Interference. However, online tools should never replace eyewitness accounts, local reporting, and independent verification of the presence of a shutdown.
Technology helps, but it is not enough
VPNs are a common tool to reach sources and reporters during internet shutdowns, but Rashidi cautions that relying on VPNs can create a false sense of security.
VPNs differ significantly in quality, ownership, logging policies, and resilience, Rashidi said. Some may collect user data, others may stop functioning during severe filtering, and simply using a VPN can itself attract attention in some environments, such as in Russia.
More importantly, a VPN cannot protect a source who logs onto personal social media accounts, shares files containing identifying metadata, or uses a compromised device, all of which can reveal their location and activities to authorities.
Instead of recommending a single tool, Rashidi advises journalists to assess each source’s situation individually and consider their local context, level of risk, and the sensitivity of the information they would be sharing before suggesting any security procedure.
Stay connected to the people, not just the news
Mironova says many exiled journalists remain effective because they spent years building relationships with sources before leaving their countries. Those networks become invaluable when official access disappears.
Exiled journalists can gradually lose touch with everyday life inside their home countries if they rely only on major headlines or other exiled voices, she said. During an internet shutdown, when direct access to people on the ground becomes even more limited, relying on those sources alone can create a distorted picture of events.
To avoid this, Mironova regularly follows Russian-language social media and securely speaks with people inside Russia about daily life, local concerns, and economic conditions. Maintaining those conversations helps journalists avoid assumptions and better understand the realities facing the people they report on, which can help guide their reporting even if access is cut off.
Practical checklist for journalists
Internet shutdowns are designed to make journalism and information sharing slower, riskier, and more uncertain. But preparation, strong source relationships, careful verification, and source protection can significantly reduce those risks.
As both Mironova and Rashidi emphasize, the most important principle remains the same: protecting sources is paramount and takes priority over pursuing a story.
Before a shutdown
- Build source networks early
- Agree on backup communication methods and authentication procedures
- Establish code words with trusted sources
- Store contacts, maps, encryption keys, and critical documents offline
- Train sources on security tools before — not during — a crisis
During a shutdown
- Do not assume a silent source is safe or in danger
- Follow pre-agreed communication protocols
- Avoid repeated calls or sensitive messages over insecure channels
- Verify information through multiple independent sources
- Clearly explain to readers why information cannot be independently confirmed
When using security tools
- Do not assume a VPN solves every security problem
- Recommend only trusted, previously tested tools
- Consider the source’s threat level before suggesting any technology
- Remember that operational security is more important than any single app
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