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When Ugandans went to the polls in the most recent general election, voting did not begin with ballot papers alone. Hours before polling opened, access to social media platforms and mobile internet services was restricted nationwide. For many voters, journalists and election observers, the blackout was not an isolated technical failure but a deliberate state action that shaped how the election unfolded—before, during and after votes were cast.
In the days leading up to the election, authorities announced measures to “maintain security and public order.” What followed was a sharp restriction on 3G/4G mobile data and social media access, cutting off platforms used for campaigning, mobilisation and real-time reporting. On election day itself, the disruption limited citizens’ ability to share incidents from polling units, verify results, or communicate with observers. After voting closed, partial restoration of services did little to calm tensions, as delays and inconsistencies in results reporting were met with a digital environment still under heavy state control.
Uganda’s experience fits into a broader global pattern of digital freedom. Compiled from multiple digital rights monitoring organisations, SEM Intelligence documents election-related internet disruptions across at least 40 countries worldwide, spanning full nationwide blackouts, regional shutdowns, mobile data restrictions, social media blocks and targeted throttling of news websites.
Finding by Ripples Metric shows that internet disruptions have become a recurrent electoral tool rather than an emergency response.
Africa: Blackouts as an Electoral Tactic
Africa accounts for the highest concentration of election-related internet shutdowns. From East to West Africa, governments have repeatedly turned to full blackouts or mobile data restrictions during contested polls.
Uganda joins a list that includes Ethiopia, Sudan, Zimbabwe, the Democratic Republic of Congo and Chad —countries marked by recurring disruptions tied to elections or political crises. In several cases, shutdowns began before voting, intensifying on election day and extending into the post-election period, when disputes over results were most likely to erupt.
Findings by Ripples Metric show that in East Africa, countries affected are Uganda, Ethiopia, Kenya, Tanzania, Sudan, South Sudan. Meanwhile in West Africa, countries like Nigeria, Ghana, Sierra Leone, Liberia, Guinea, Mali, Burkina Faso, Niger and Chad have been affected.
Furthermore, in Central Africa, the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), Republic of Congo, Cameroon, and the Central African Republic have experienced internal shutdown. In Southern Africa; Zimbabwe, Zambia, Malawi, Mozambique and Lesotho while in North-East Africa; Somalia and Eritrea
Asia: Surgical Shutdowns and Platform Blocks
Across Asia, the data points to a mix of mobile internet cuts, regional shutdowns and judicial blocks targeting specific platforms such as Telegram or news websites. Countries in South and Central Asia stand out for repeated use of these measures around elections and referendums.
Rather than switching off the internet entirely, authorities increasingly deploy targeted restrictions—blocking messaging apps, throttling news sites, or cutting mobile data in opposition strongholds. The timing is precise, often beginning on the eve of elections and ending only after results are secured.
These tactics allow governments to claim the internet remains “on” while still disrupting political organisation and independent reporting. The result is a controlled digital environment that shapes voter perception and limits post-election mobilisation.
Latin America and Europe and the Middle East:
Latin America shows fewer cases than Africa or Asia, but the trend is growing. The data highlights social media restrictions and regional outages during periods of electoral tension, particularly amid protests contesting results.
In several countries, governments have justified disruptions as responses to “misinformation” or public order concerns. These countries are Venezuela, Cuba, Nicaragua, Bolivia, Peru and Ecuador. Yet the pattern shows that restrictions frequently coincide with opposition challenges and demonstrations, limiting the ability of citizens to organise and communicate during critical democratic moments.
In parts of Eastern Europe and the Middle East, election-related internet disruptions appear alongside broader patterns of digital repression. Full blackouts are less common, but news site blocking, throttling and mobile service suspensions feature prominently. Countries affected are Russia, Belarus, Azerbaijan, Armenia, Georgia and Turkey
A Global Normalisation of Digital Repression
Taken together, the data shows that at least 40 countries across every inhabited continent have experienced some form of election-related internet disruption. What was once an exceptional measure has become a standardised tactic in the global authoritarian—and increasingly hybrid—playbook.
Uganda’s election illustrates how these disruptions shape democratic outcomes from start to finish: limiting campaigning before the vote, obscuring transparency on election day, and muting dissent after results are announced. Nigeria’s experience shows a more subtle version of the same strategy, adapted to a larger, more connected democracy.
By: James Odunayo
The post RipplesMetrics: How internet disruptions shaped elections across the world appeared first on Latest Nigeria News | Top Stories from Ripples Nigeria.
