UN warns of impending 'digital pandemic' risk from global internet outage

The report, published on May 5, 2026, by the United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction UNDRR, the International Telecommunication Union ITU, and Sciences Po Paris, suggests that the probability of such an event is underestimated and the world is unprepared. A widespread internet failure could paralyze payment systems, disrupt hospitals, affect power grids, and silence emergency services. Experts indicate that failures in digital infrastructure could trigger cascading disruptions across sectors and borders, with up to 89% of impacts stemming from systemic effects rather than the initial shock.

Critical scenarios include solar storms damaging satellites and power grids, extreme heat overloading data centers, and damage to undersea cables, which carry over 99% of global internet traffic. ITU Secretary-General Doreen Bogdan-Martin highlighted the potential for widespread disruption, stating that such an outage is more probable than generally perceived. The report emphasizes modern society's increasing reliance on interconnected digital systems, which are vulnerable to natural disasters, infrastructure failures, extreme weather, space debris, and solar storms.

It criticizes states for insufficient preparation, particularly for large-scale failures of satellites, power grids, or undersea cables, as well as unintentional disruptions. The authors