--- description: WikiLeaks confirmed Monday that the Ecuadorean government had cut Julian Assange's Internet access title: WikiLeaks: Ecuador Cut Julian Assange’s Internet Access image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt3e914ff5a8954706/6988aa6297cdfffd076ae34d/gettyimages-508596270.jpg?branch=production&width=3840&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  * [World](/section/world/) ## World Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close * [U.K.](/tag/u-k/) ## U.K. Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close # WikiLeaks Says Ecuador Shut Down Julian Assange’s Internet Access by [TIME Staff](/author/time-staff/) ## TIME Staff Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close Oct 18, 2016 5:58 AM CUT by [TIME Staff](/author/time-staff/) ## TIME Staff Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close Oct 18, 2016 5:58 AM CUT WikiLeaks confirmed Monday that the [Ecuadorean government had cut Julian Assange’s Internet access](https://twitter.com/wikileaks/status/788099178832420865 "undefined"), ending speculation that it was the U.S. or U.K. government that had done so. “We can confirm Ecuador cut off Assange’s internet access Saturday, 5 pm GMT, shortly after publication of (Hillary) Clinton’s Goldman Sachs speechs \[sic\],” WikiLeaks tweeted. The antisecrecy group said over Twitter that it had “activated appropriate contingency plans.” [WikiLeaks founder Assange](http://time.com/4532984/wikileaks-julian-assange-theories/ "undefined") has been living in [Ecuador’s embassy](http://world.time.com/2012/06/19/why-is-ecuador-julian-assanges-choice-for-asylum/ "undefined") in London since June 2012\. He was [granted asylum by Ecuador](http://world.time.com/2012/08/16/assanges-special-asylum-why-ecuador-isnt-nice-to-anyone-else/ "undefined") after a British court ordered his extradition to Sweden, where he is wanted for [questioning on a rape allegation](http://time.com/4188185/julian-assange-wikileaks-ecuador-embassy-sweden/ "undefined"). Assange fears that if he were to be extradited to Sweden, he would, in turn, be extradited to the U.S. for his role in obtaining and publishing classified information. WikiLeaks has been a prominent publisher of [hacked Democratic Party materials](http://time.com/4523749/hillary-clinton-wikileaks-leaked-emails-john-podesta/ "undefined") at a time when U.S agencies have accused Russia’s “senior-most officials,” of a campaign of cyberattacks. Assange has denied any connection with Russia but refuses to reveal WikiLeaks’ sources. Guillaume Long, Ecuador’s Foreign Minister, confirmed on Monday that Assange remained under his government’s protection but did not comment on the issue of Internet access, Reuters [reported](http://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-cyber-wikileaks-idUSKBN12H2E9 "undefined"). ```json [{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","@id":"https://time.com/4534534/julian-assange-internet-access-ecuador-embassy/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://time.com/4534534/julian-assange-internet-access-ecuador-embassy/"},"headline":"WikiLeaks Says Ecuador Shut Down Julian Assange’s Internet Access","datePublished":"2016-10-18T05:58:18.000Z","dateModified":"2026-06-24T06:57:03.883Z","description":"The antisecrecy group said over Twitter that it had “activated appropriate contingency plans”","url":"https://time.com/4534534/julian-assange-internet-access-ecuador-embassy/","keywords":["U.K.","Julian Assange","WikiLeaks","Ecuador"],"thumbnailUrl":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt3e914ff5a8954706/6988aa6297cdfffd076ae34d/gettyimages-508596270.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","author":[{"@type":"Person","name":"TIME Staff","jobTitle":null,"url":"https://time.com/author/time-staff/"}],"articleSection":"World","image":[{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt3e914ff5a8954706/6988aa6297cdfffd076ae34d/gettyimages-508596270.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","width":1200,"height":675,"headline":"UN Panel rules that Wikileaks founder is arbitrarily detained","caption":"UN Panel rules that Wikileaks founder is arbitrarily detained","creditText":"Anadolu Agency—Getty Images","representativeOfPage":true}],"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Time","url":"https://time.com/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://time.com/images/logo.png","width":528,"height":156},"foundingDate":"March 3, 1923","sameAs":["https://www.facebook.com/time","https://www.instagram.com/time/?hl=en","https://twitter.com/time","https://www.pinterest.com/timemagazine"]}},{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"BreadcrumbList","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"item":{"@id":"/section/world/","name":"World"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"item":{"@id":"/tag/u-k/","name":"U.K."}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":3,"item":{"@id":"https://time.com/4534534/julian-assange-internet-access-ecuador-embassy/","name":"WikiLeaks Says Ecuador Shut Down Julian Assange’s Internet Access"}}]},{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"VideoObject","name":"This Video Is No Longer Available","description":"The antisecrecy group said over Twitter that it had “activated appropriate contingency plans”","thumbnailUrl":"https://cdn.jwplayer.com/v2/media/fKodeUO6/poster.jpg?width=720","uploadDate":"2026-06-23T15:00:44.000Z","contentUrl":"https://cdn.jwplayer.com/manifests/fKodeUO6.m3u8","embedUrl":"https://time.com/4534534/julian-assange-internet-access-ecuador-embassy/","duration":"PT10S","potentialAction":{"@type":"SeekToAction","target":"https://time.com/4534534/julian-assange-internet-access-ecuador-embassy/?jw_start={seek_to_second_number}","startOffset-input":"required name=seek_to_second_number"}}] ```