NetBlocks Cost of Shutdown Tool™ (COST) is a data-driven online service that enables anyone – including journalists, researchers, advocates, policy makers, businesses, and others – to quickly and easily produce rough estimates of the economic cost of Internet disruptions.
Launch COSTCost of Shutdown Tool
Building upon published methodologies like those devised by the Brookings Institution and CIPESA, the Cost of Shutdown Tool estimates the potential economic cost of internet shutdowns, mobile data blackouts and social media restrictions using public economic indicators relating to the global digital economy.
Recent Changes
- 9 November 2021
- Updated exchange rates
- Updated GDP, population and ICT indicators to 2020 dataset
- CIPESA method: Added 20% annual escalator on CIPESA method Annex 1 figures from date of publication
- Brookings method (G20 countries): Added 10% annual escalator on digital economy extent figures
- from date of publication
- Brookings method (other countries): Produce digital economy extent estimations from updated ICT indictors
Simple
COST automates the process of estimating the economic impact of shutdowns
Global
Specialised datasets, economic models and currencies make COST assessments relevant to local communities
Mobile-first
Take COST with you to support your policy work and with annotated economic figures on the go