Kashmir
Disputed Himalayan region; Indian-administered Kashmir holds the world record for the longest democratic internet shutdown.
Last refreshed: 16 April 2026
How does Kashmir's 552-day internet shutdown put Iran's 2026 blackout in perspective?
Timeline for Kashmir
Mentioned in: Iran blackout hits Day 50 at 1,176-plus hours
Iran Conflict 2026Mentioned in: Iran blackout sets global shutdown record
Iran Conflict 2026Mentioned in: Malala: Minab killings 'unconscionable'
Iran Conflict 2026Mentioned in: US orders departure from 16 countries
Iran Conflict 2026Mentioned in: Nine killed at Karachi consulate protest
Iran Conflict 2026- How long was the internet shutdown in Kashmir?
- The Indian government imposed an internet shutdown in Jammu & Kashmir on 5 August 2019, following the revocation of Article 370. The blackout lasted 552 days before full 4G restoration in most areas in March 2021, making it the longest government-imposed internet shutdown in a democracy.Source: Access Now #KeepItOn
- Why is Kashmir being compared to Iran's internet blackout in 2026?
- When Iran's blackout passed 46 days in April 2026, analysts cited Kashmir's 552-day shutdown as the only democratic precedent of comparable scale. The comparison shows Iran's blackout is severe but not unprecedented in its duration.Source: Lowdown
Background
Kashmir entered Lowdown coverage as the benchmark for government-imposed internet shutdowns: when Iran's blackout passed 46 days on 15 April 2026, analysts cited Indian-administered Kashmir's 552-day blackout (August 2019 to March 2021) as the only democratic-government precedent of comparable scale. The region also appeared in early coverage of Pakistan-related protest spillover from the Iran conflict.
Kashmir is a Himalayan region divided between India, Pakistan, and China. India administers Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh (reorganised as Union Territories after the revocation of Article 370 in August 2019); Pakistan administers Azad Kashmir and Gilgit-Baltistan; China holds Aksai Chin. The Line of Control separating Indian- and Pakistani-held Kashmir has been a flashpoint since partition in 1947. India and Pakistan have fought three wars over the territory; both are nuclear-armed states. The Indian government has imposed more internet shutdowns in Kashmir than any other jurisdiction in the world since 2012, according to Access Now's #KeepItOn tracker.
Kashmir's internet-shutdown record makes it a global benchmark in digital rights discourse. Access Now, NetBlocks, and the UN Special Rapporteur on Freedom of Expression use Kashmiri precedents when establishing what constitutes an unprecedented or disproportionate communication blackout. The comparison is two-edged: it contextualises Iran's blackout as severe, while simultaneously highlighting that democratic India has also sustained a blackout that no authoritarian government had previously matched.
