Once, both science and society were anchored by a shared pursuit the search for truth. But somewhere along the way, that pursuit was replaced by performance. In theoretical physics, the language of reality has been eclipsed by the poetry of abstraction. Elegant equations and untestable theories now promise a universe that looks perfect on paper, yet drifts further from empirical proof. The field that once revealed the hidden laws of nature now risks becoming a monument to imagination detached from verification.
The same drift defines our digital generation. We navigate curated illusions, mistaking visibility for validation and algorithms for wisdom. Just as physics lost its grounding in failed and flashy science fiction experiment, we are losing ours in experience. Both crises .. one intellectual, the other cultural .. emerge from a single source: the quiet erosion of integrity.
When truth yields to spectacle, knowledge becomes a performance and authenticity a brand. Whether in laboratories or online spaces, we’re learning to polish illusions faster than we test realities. The result is not just a crisis of understanding, but a crisis of meaning. If physics once warned us about entropy, our civilization now embodies it, energy dispersed, focus scattered, integrity fading into noise.
To rediscover what’s real, we must relearn the courage to question, to doubt, and to stand apart from the applause…. 
( This article is not for product marketing )
Why We’re Fighting for Freedom in a Wired World: My Take on Keeping the Internet Free in 2025👇
I want to share my perspective on why internet freedom feels urgent in 2025. Over 5.56 billion people nearly 67.9% of the global population are now online, and that scale turns connectivity into both a public good and a battleground. From rural clinics where AI helps nurses detect illnesses, to city streets where a single social post can mobilize thousands, the internet is the connective tissue of modern life. But when a handful of platforms and states control the pipes and the algorithms, that connective tissue can tighten into a chokehold. This is why defending digital freedom matters: not for abstract ideals, but for real lives and real futures.
The Heartbeat of Connection: Why the Internet Feels Like Home
The internet’s power lies not in its technology but in its capacity to dissolve distance. Consider the latest data: as of early 2025, approximately 5.64 billion people worldwide use the internet, representing 68.7% of the global population[2][10]. This represents a remarkable increase from just a few years ago, though the pace of growth has moderated from the explosive expansion of the mid-2010s[10].
What makes 2025 particularly significant is how connectivity is reaching previously isolated communities. Satellite internet technology is bridging the digital divide in ways terrestrial infrastructure never could[11][12][13]. In India, where only 49.15% of the population currently has internet access, satellite communications are emerging as a transformative solution, particularly for the 46 per 100 rural population who remain unconnected[12][13]. Starlink received approval in June 2025 to operate satellite internet services in India, joining Jio Satellite Communication and OneWeb in a push to connect remote villages, mountainous terrain, and border regions[13][14].
The impact extends beyond mere connectivity. AI-powered healthcare platforms are democratizing access to medical expertise in rural America and developing nations alike. Recent research published in 2025 found that AI and telemedicine are transforming healthcare delivery in underserved communities, with machine learning algorithms supporting early disease detection and AI-powered decision support systems assisting healthcare providers in optimizing care quality[6]. When rural clinicians face shortages of specialists, AI-assisted diagnostics deliver faster, more accurate results, often saving patients from hours-long drives to see a specialist for brief consultations[5].
The Reality Check: Internet Restrictions in 2025
Yet this hopeful picture exists alongside a more troubling reality. According to Internet Society Pulse data, the world has experienced 98 internet shutdowns since October 2024, affecting 15 countries and resulting in 24,826 hours of lost internet access[15]. The economic toll is staggering: over $72 million in combined GDP losses across all affected countries[15].
India continues to lead the world in internet restrictions. Between January and June 2025, Surfshark research identified 24 internet restrictions across 10 countries, with India accounting for a significant portion[16]. As of October 2025, the Internet Shutdowns Tracker documented multiple shutdowns in Assam, Odisha, and other states, with restrictions imposed on October 15, 2025 in Baksa district[17]. These shutdowns build upon lessons learned from Kashmir’s unprecedented 552-day shutdown between August 2019 and February 2021—the longest communications blackout in any democracy[18][19][20]. That shutdown cost the region over $1 billion in economic losses and affected every aspect of daily life, from education and healthcare to commerce and journalism[18][21].
Afghanistan represents one of 2025’s most dramatic cases. Beginning September 29, 2025, the Taliban ordered a complete nationwide internet shutdown, cutting fiber optic and mobile connectivity to allegedly prevent “immoral behavior”[22][23][24]. The blackout, Afghanistan’s first-ever nationwide shutdown, has paralyzed critical services including banking, customs operations, emergency communications, and humanitarian aid delivery[23][25][26]. Flights were grounded at Kabul airport, and the UN warned that the reduction in access has left Afghanistan “nearly entirely isolated from the outside world”[26].
Ukraine has experienced 10+ internet disruptions in 2025 amid ongoing conflict, while Iran has imposed 8+ shutdowns since the 2022 Mahsa Amini protests[15][7][8]. Myanmar, following its February 2021 military coup, has recorded 329 shutdowns through 2025, with the Myanmar Internet Project documenting that all 330 townships have experienced some form of communications blackout[27][28]. A 2025 Access Now report revealed that Myanmar suffered more internet shutdowns in 2024 than any other country worldwide, with 85 of nearly 300 global shutdowns occurring there[28].
The economic research is sobering. A 2024 study using econometric analysis of panel data from 92 countries found that a 1% increase in the likelihood of an internet shutdown was statistically significantly associated with a 15.6 percentage point reduction in GDP per capita and a 2.2% increase in unemployment rates[29]. Every additional day of shutdown costs $86.58 per person on average[29].
Tools of Resilience: How People Are Pushing Back
Despite these restrictions, communities are finding ways to maintain connectivity. VPN adoption has surged dramatically in regions facing censorship. Global VPN usage reached approximately 1.75 billion users in 2025, representing 20 to 30 % of all internet users[30]. In countries with heavy restrictions, adoption rates are far higher: Indonesia (55-61%), India (40-50%), Qatar (59%), and the UAE (36-42%)[31][30].
The VPN market is projected to hit $92.4 billion by 2026, with a compound annual growth rate of approximately 11-17% depending on the region[31]. During periods of censorship or unrest, countries like Indonesia have seen VPN usage spike by as much as 373%, highlighting the reactive nature of demand in restrictive environments[30].
Signal, the encrypted messaging app, has become particularly important for secure communications in challenging environments. While specific metrics about Signal bypassing restrictions weren’t fully verifiable in current sources, its end-to-end encryption has made it a critical tool for activists, journalists, and citizens in authoritarian contexts[32][33]. The app’s architecture—with messages encrypted on the sender’s device and only decryptable by the recipient—makes it fundamentally resistant to surveillance and censorship[33].
The #KeepItOn campaign, coordinated by Access Now and a global coalition, has documented and opposed internet shutdowns worldwide. In 2022, the campaign documented 187 internet shutdowns across 35 countries[34]. Their advocacy has helped reverse approximately 40% of temporary shutdowns, contributing to economic benefits as businesses and communities regain connectivity[35].
Europe’s Digital Framework: The DSA in Action
The European Union’s Digital Services Act represents one of 2025’s most significant policy developments for internet governance. The DSA, which entered full force on February 17, 2024, establishes a comprehensive framework for digital services accountability, content moderation, and platform transparency across the EU[36][37].
The regulation applies tiered obligations based on service size and risk levels. All digital intermediary services face basic obligations, with enhanced duties for online platforms and the most stringent requirements for Very Large Online Platforms (VLOPs) and Very Large Online Search Engines (VLOSEs)—those with over 45 million monthly active users in the EU[38][36][37]. Member States have designated Digital Services Coordinators (DSCs) to supervise and enforce the DSA, with the European Commission maintaining exclusive competence over VLOPs and VLOSEs[38][39].
The DSA’s impact on elections has been particularly noteworthy. In March 2025, the European Commission published the “DSA Elections Toolkit for Digital Services Coordinators,” designed to protect electoral integrity and promote a safe online environment for democratic participation[39]. While I couldn’t verify the specific €1 billion figure mentioned in the original text, the toolkit outlines methods DSCs can implement to safeguard elections and improve mitigation measures taken by VLOPs and VLOSEs[39].
The parallel Digital Markets Act, which regulates competition and prevents abuse of power by larger “gatekeeper” platforms, works in tandem with the DSA[36][40]. Together, these frameworks represent the EU’s commitment to creating a safer digital space while protecting fundamental rights and ensuring fair competition[41][42].
The Chat Control Controversy: Privacy at a Crossroads
One of late 2025’s most contentious digital rights issues has been the proposed EU Child Sexual Abuse (CSA) Regulation, commonly known as “Chat Control.” On October 13-14, 2025, the EU Council voted on the CSA Regulation, which would mandate scanning of private communications, including encrypted messages, to detect child sexual abuse material[43][44][45].
The proposal has sparked fierce opposition from privacy advocates, tech companies, and civil liberties organizations. Critics argue that the mandatory scanning would fundamentally undermine end-to-end encryption by requiring client-side scanning—having access to one of the “ends” of an end-to-end encrypted communication[45][46][47]. Signal has stated it would pull its app from the EU if Chat Control is passed[45].
The proposed age verification measures would require digital identity verification to access certain services, which privacy experts warn would pose threats to free expression, autonomy, and privacy[43][47]. As of October 2025, the legislative situation remains fluid, with the proposal still facing several hurdles before it could become law[43].
The Physics Parallel: A Cautionary Tale for Digital Freedom
The 2025 Nobel Prize in Physics offers an unexpected but illuminating parallel to our digital freedom concerns. On October 7, 2025, the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences awarded the prize to John Clarke, Michel H. Devoret, and John M. Martinis “for the discovery of macroscopic quantum mechanical tunneling and energy quantization in an electric circuit”[48][49][50][51].
The laureates’ 1984-1985 experiments demonstrated that quantum mechanical properties—phenomena typically observable only at subatomic scales—could be made concrete on a macroscopic scale using superconducting electrical circuits[48][51]. This hands-on, experimental work laid the foundation for superconducting quantum bits (qubits) at the heart of many of today’s quantum computers[49][50][51]. “This is a stepping stone towards the advancement of quantum computing,” Professor Clarke noted during the announcement, adding that their work serves as “a foundational element” for the field[50].
The recognition highlights a broader tension in physics between practical, testable science and increasingly abstract theoretical work. The Standard Model of particle physics, formulated in the mid-1970s, remains the most successful theory describing fundamental particles and their interactions[52][53][54]. Yet since its completion, theoretical physics has seen relatively few major breakthroughs in unifying all forces of nature, including gravity[53][55].
String theory, which proposes that fundamental particles are one-dimensional “strings” rather than point-like particles, has consumed significant resources and attention. In 2025, the Leinweber Foundation provided $90 million—the largest philanthropic gift ever to theoretical physics—to establish institutes at five institutions, including $18 million (combined with $3.6 million from UC Berkeley) to create the Leinweber Institute for Theoretical Physics at Berkeley[56][57][58]. The institute focuses on quantum gravity, quantum information, string theory, particle physics, and condensed matter physics[57].
The parallel to digital freedom is striking: massive investments in flashy, theoretical frameworks (in physics, untestable string theories; in tech, centralized surveillance systems) can overshadow practical, freedom-preserving approaches. The Large Hadron Collider has conducted extensive searches for supersymmetry—a prediction of string theory—but after years of operation at 8 and 13 TeV collision energies, “no obvious sign of supersymmetry has been observed”[59][60][61]. The ATLAS and CMS collaborations have set lower bounds on possible supersymmetric particle masses at around 2 TeV for squarks and gluinos, with no significant excess above Standard Model backgrounds[60][61].
Meanwhile, billions have been spent on these searches while the fundamental questions about quantum gravity remain unresolved[59][60][61]. Similarly, in our digital world, governments invest heavily in surveillance infrastructure and centralized control systems while the practical tools that preserve privacy and freedom—end-to-end encryption, decentralized networks, open-source software—struggle for support.
Historical Echoes: Tiananmen and Digital Memory
No discussion of freedom in 2025 can ignore the shadow of Tiananmen Square, particularly as China’s Digital Silk Road extends its technological influence globally[62][63][64]. The 1989 protests and their violent suppression remain one of modern history’s most contested events, with death toll estimates varying dramatically.
Chinese official announcements shortly after June 4, 1989 put the death toll at around 300, with Beijing Party Secretary Li Ximing reporting to the Politburo that the government’s confirmed count was 241 (218 civilians, including 36 students, 10 PLA soldiers, and 13 People’s Armed Police)[65]. However, declassified British diplomatic cables from then-Ambassador Sir Alan Donald estimated a “minimum” of 10,000 civilian deaths[66][67][68]. The cable, written on June 5, 1989—just 24 hours after the massacre—cited a “good friend” in China’s State Council who had “previously proved reliable”[66].
Amnesty International’s estimates ranged from several hundred to several thousand, with some accounts placing the toll around 2,600 based on Chinese Red Cross sources[69]. The wide discrepancy reflects the Chinese government’s control over evidence and its suppression of any discussion about casualty figures[65][70].
The relevance to 2025 lies in how information control works in the digital age. China’s Digital Silk Road—part of the broader Belt and Road Initiative—has spread Chinese-designed communications technology to over 100 countries[62][63][71]. Huawei operates in more than 170 countries, while Chinese companies Hikvision and Dahua produce nearly 40% of the world’s surveillance cameras[71]. This infrastructure gives the Chinese Communist Party unprecedented ability to monitor, censor, and restrict network traffic not only domestically but potentially in partner nations[62][64][71].
Yet the same technologies that enable control also enable resistance. Despite China’s sophisticated “Great Firewall,” information about Tiananmen continues to circulate through encrypted channels and VPNs. As of 2025, the number of Iranian Starlink terminals had surpassed 100,000, providing uncensored internet access despite government restrictions[72]. Communities worldwide pass down historical memory through secure digital channels, ensuring that even events governments try to erase remain part of the collective consciousness[64][71].
Economic Renaissance: When Connectivity Fuels Growth
The positive economic impacts of reliable internet connectivity provide perhaps the strongest argument for fighting restrictions. Research published in 2025 examining broadband networks’ economic effects found that both fixed and mobile broadband adoption exert substantial and significant impacts on GDP, while network deployment alone shows only modest effects[73]. The key driver is actual usage—how businesses and individuals leverage connectivity for productivity and innovation[74][75].
Years of research have shown that businesses using the internet more effectively generate more income and save on costs compared to those that don’t[74]. When businesses adopt online practices, it accelerates growth and creates new jobs for communities[74]. Yet approximately 70% of small businesses do not fully utilize broadband’s potential, representing a massive missed opportunity[74].
Fiber internet has proven particularly transformative for local economies. Communities with robust fiber infrastructure see increased investment, job creation, and commercial activity[75]. The technology provides faster upload and download speeds essential for video conferencing, cloud applications, and data transfers; lower latency reducing delays in communication and transactions; and greater bandwidth supporting multiple users and devices without slowdowns[75].
Local success stories abound. Turner Security, a business customer of United Communications, has thrived with fiber internet, improving their security solutions, optimizing operations, and better serving clients[75]. In Burkina Faso, the BFIX (Burkina Faso Internet Exchange) transformed the local digital economy by enabling entrepreneurs to host data and services locally[76]. When undersea cable cuts affected West Africa in March 2024, Burkina Faso’s internet users could still access locally hosted content while other nations waited up to two months for repairs[76].
The broader regional data is equally compelling. The $8 billion in economic benefits mentioned in internet shutdown impact studies reflects the real cost of disconnection[15][77][29]. When connectivity is restored, businesses that depend on online presence—video game developers, e-commerce shops, digital services—can operate and grow, unlocking potential for owners and their communities[76].
Looking Forward: The 2025 Inflection Point
As this October 2025 day unfolds, we stand at a genuine inflection point for internet freedom. The convergence of several trends—expanding satellite connectivity, maturing encryption technologies, comprehensive policy frameworks like the DSA, and growing public awareness of digital rights—creates both opportunities and risks.
The Pew Research Center’s 2025 data shows that internet use continues to integrate more deeply into daily life. A median of 28% of adults across 24 surveyed countries say they are online almost constantly, with an additional 40% using the internet several times a day[78]. In Japan, 56% of adults are online almost constantly, while countries like South Korea (about half), Argentina, Israel, Spain, Turkey, and the United States (roughly four-in-ten each) show high levels of continuous connectivity[78].
This ubiquity makes internet access not merely convenient but essential. Digital public infrastructure—digital identity, online banking, government services, healthcare platforms—requires reliable connectivity. When that connectivity is severed through shutdowns, the impact cascades across all aspects of modern life.
The fight for internet freedom in 2025 isn’t about abstract principles—it’s about protecting the infrastructure of contemporary civilization. Every teacher in Iraq uploading lessons under the stars, every shop owner in India rerouting orders during a shutdown, every Afghan student trying to access online education during the Taliban’s blackout represents the human cost of digital restrictions[15][22][24][25].
The Path Forward: What We Can Do
The solutions aren’t simple, but they’re clear. Governments must commit to transparency when restrictions are necessary, limiting them to genuine security emergencies with clearly defined durations and regular public reporting. The UN and international organizations should strengthen norms against arbitrary shutdowns, making internet access a recognized component of human rights.
Platforms must balance safety with freedom, using the DSA and similar frameworks as models for accountability without censorship. Developers should continue creating and distributing tools that preserve privacy and bypass restrictions—VPNs, encrypted messaging, decentralized networks—while making them accessible to non-technical users[31][30][33].
Most importantly, individuals must stay engaged. Download that VPN. Learn about encryption. Support organizations like Access Now and the #KeepItOn campaign[35][34]. Share information across borders. When internet shutdowns occur, amplify the voices of those affected. Vote for leaders who understand that digital freedom underpins all other freedoms in the 21st century.
The physics community’s embrace of practical, testable quantum mechanics over abstract, untestable string theories offers a lesson: the tools that work are often simpler and more direct than the flashy alternatives[48][49][51]. Similarly, the tools of digital freedom—encryption, open networks, transparent governance—are fundamentally straightforward. They just require the will to implement and defend them.
Conclusion: Why This Moment Matters
The internet in 2025 is both more universal and more contested than ever before. With 5.56 billion people online[1][2], connectivity has become the background infrastructure of modern life, yet 98 internet shutdowns in the past year remind us how fragile that connectivity remains[15]. The economic costs—over $72 million in lost GDP, $86.58 per person per day of shutdown—represent real harm to real people[15][29].
But the counter-trends offer genuine hope. Satellite internet is reaching the unreachable. VPN adoption is surging precisely where it’s needed most. The EU’s Digital Services Act provides a framework for balancing safety and freedom. AI is democratizing access to healthcare and education in rural communities worldwide[4][5][6]. Communities are finding ways to preserve and share historical memory despite censorship[64][71].
This October 2025 morning, the fight for internet freedom isn’t a distant cause—it’s happening right now in Afghanistan, India, Iran, Myanmar, and dozens of other places where people refuse to be disconnected. The question isn’t whether we can keep the internet free. It’s whether we will choose to do so.
Because in the end, the internet isn’t just code and cables. It’s the late-night scroll that makes you laugh, the forum thread that finally explains the glitch, the video from halfway around the world that changes your perspective, the message from a loved one that makes you feel less alone. It’s the thread that stitches our messy, beautiful world together. And that’s worth fighting for
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For clarity, in this article I criticize a trend in physics: the institutional preference for speculative, often untestable theories, not theoretical physics itself. Theory and experiment are partners, but the problem arises when prestige and incentives reward spectacle over verification. The 2025 Nobel Prize for macroscopic quantum-circuit experiments is a welcome reminder of the value of rigorous, testable work that anchors theory in reality. To restore integrity in science and society, we should value research that produces verifiable results rather than celebrating elegant mathematics or flashy narratives, like something out of a Marvel Avengers movie.
