Internet shutdowns used to be rare. They're increasingly becoming the norm in much of the world

Hong Kong (CNN)At the start of this year, as Zimbabwe cut off internet access across the country following anti-government protests, the internet pressure group Keep It On warned that such "shutdowns must never be allowed to become the new normal."

Twelve months later, however, that's exactly where we are.

Kashmiri journalists protest against internet blockade put by India's government in Srinagar on October 12, 2019.

An ongoing internet blackout in Indian-controlled Kashmir is now the longest ever in a democracy -- at more than 135 days -- according to Access Now, an advocacy group that tracks internet freedom. Only the autocratic governments of China and junta-era Myanmar have cut off access for longer.

The blackout came as Indian troops flooded into Kashmir following New Delhi's removal of the region's legal autonomy. But the shutdown left some Kashmiris unaware of the reason the internet had been cut. And without internet access, they have been largely removed from the conversation ever since, so difficult is it for people in the region to get their messages out.

Kashmiris have been without internet access for so long that WhatsApp has reportedly begun deleting their accounts for inaction.

David Kaye, the United Nation's special rapporteur on freedom of opinion and expression, has described the ongoing shutdown as a "communications siege" and "collective punishment without even the allegation of an underlying offense."

This week, the tactic spread to other parts of India, as authorities in multiple regions, including in parts of the capital New Delhi, cut phone and internet services amid widespread protests over a controversial citizenship bill. Tens of millions of people have been affected by the most recent shutdowns. The move has attracted widespread outrage and seen pushback from politicians and even some judges.

India's increased internet censorship has been greeted with delight in China, however, where state-run media pointed to it as an endorsement of Beijing's own authoritarian approach. The People's Daily said this week that India's example showed "shutting down the internet in a state of emergency should be standard practice for sovereign countries."