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<!DOCTYPE html>      <html class="no-js" lang="en" dir="ltr" prefix="fb: http://ogp.me/ns/fb# og: http://ogp.me/ns#"> <head> <meta charset="utf-8" /> <link rel="shortcut icon" href="https://www.eff.org/sites/all/themes/frontier/favicon.ico" type="image/vnd.microsoft.icon" /> <link rel="profile" href="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml/vocab" /> <meta name="HandheldFriendly" content="true" /> <meta name="MobileOptimized" content="width" /> <meta http-equiv="cleartype" content="on" /> <link rel="apple-touch-icon" href="https://www.eff.org/sites/all/themes/phoenix/apple-touch-icon.png" /> <link rel="apple-touch-icon-precomposed" href="https://www.eff.org/sites/all/themes/phoenix/apple-touch-icon-precomposed.png" /> <meta name="description" content="Governments around the world block access to online content for a variety of reasons: to shield children from obscene content, to prevent access to copyright-infringing material or confusingly named domains, or to protect national security. From democratic nations such as India, the United Kingdom, and South Korea to states with authoritarian governments, states are" /> <meta name="viewport" content="width=device-width" /> <link rel="image_src" href="https://www.eff.org/files/eff-og.png" /> <meta name="generator" content="Drupal 7 (http://drupal.org)" /> <link rel="canonical" href="https://www.eff.org/issues/content-blocking" /> <meta name="rights" content="https://www.eff.org/copyright" /> <link rel="shortlink" href="https://www.eff.org/taxonomy/term/10849" /> <meta property="og:site_name" content="Electronic Frontier Foundation" /> <meta property="og:type" content="article" /> <meta property="og:url" content="https://www.eff.org/issues/content-blocking" /> <meta property="og:title" content="Content Blocking" /> <meta property="og:description" content="Governments around the world block access to online content for a variety of reasons: to shield children from obscene content, to prevent access to copyright-infringing material or confusingly named domains, or to protect national security. From democratic nations such as India, the United Kingdom, and South Korea to states with authoritarian governments, states are implementing extensive filtering regimes with varying degrees of transparency and consistency. EFF believes that the blocking and filtering by nation states of the global Internet is a violation of Article 19 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, which grants everyone the right "to seek, receive and impart information and ideas through any media and regardless of frontiers." Since our founding in 1990, we have fought to preserve the capacity of the Internet to allow everyone to speak without hindrance, and for everyone to freely choose who they communicate with, no matter who—or where—they may be. How Countries Block Content There are various methods used to block content online. Government actors can block or tamper with domain names, filter and block specific keywords, block a particular IP address, or urge online content providers to remove content or search results. Often, governments rely upon commercial software to do the job for them. Products readily available on the market for use in homes, schools, and libraries have been used in several countries. Though the export and sale of these tools is generally legal, it often raises questions of human rights and corporate social responsibility. Some countries, such as China, use a combination of the aforementioned techniques, by pervasively blocking keywords, foreign websites, and urging companies such as Google to remove certain content. Others, such as Morocco and Egypt, take a minimalist approach to content blocking, by filtering a certain selection of URLs. The level of transparency in content blocking also differs from country to country. Some offer block pages that explain to users that a site is blocked (as well as, sometimes, why it is blocked) and/or means of challenging a specific site block, while others re-direct the user to an error page; before the fall of the Ben Ali regime, for example, Tunisia famously redirected users to an HTTP 404 error page. Why Countries Block Content Countries block online content for a variety of reasons, often based on national cultural norms or political considerations. India for example, uses the pretext of public safety to enact laws allowing certain websites to be blocked, while other countries, such as Qatar, primarily block websites for containing pornography or other content that they claim offends the sensibilities of their citizens. Russia blocks child pornography, as well as online content containing materials advocating drug abuse, suicide, or “extremism.” Still others block websites or domains under the pretense of preventing copyright or trademark infringement. An increasing number of governments also block websites belonging to their political opposition, human rights organizations, and independent media. What EFF is Doing Whenever possible, EFF engages with policymakers to ensure that the Internet remains an open platform for free expression. We also support the efforts of organizations like Tor to empower Internet users residing in censored countries to protect their identities, circumvent firewalls, and access blocked content. Content blocking occurs in both autocratic and democratic countries. EFF seeks to amplify the voices of local grassroots organizations opposing censorship all over the world, and educate our members about those groups’ concerns. We frequently join international campaigns against censorship, and provide updates on content blocking and other censorship incidents on the Deeplinks blog." /> <meta property="og:image" content="https://www.eff.org/files/eff-og.png" /> <meta property="og:image:url" content="https://www.eff.org/files/eff-og.png" /> <meta property="og:image:secure_url" content="https://www.eff.org/files/eff-og.png" /> <meta property="og:image:type" content="image/png" /> <meta property="og:image:width" content="1200" /> <meta property="og:image:height" content="630" /> <meta name="twitter:card" content="summary" /> <meta name="twitter:site" content="@eff" /> <meta name="twitter:title" content="Content Blocking" /> <meta name="twitter:description" content="Governments around the world block access to online content for a variety of reasons: to shield children from obscene content, to prevent access to copyright-infringing material or confusingly named" /> <meta name="twitter:image" content="https://www.eff.org/files/eff-og.png" /> <meta name="twitter:image:width" content="1200" /> <meta name="twitter:image:height" content="630" /> <meta property="article:publisher" content="https://www.facebook.com/eff" /> <meta itemprop="name" content="Content Blocking" /> <meta itemprop="description" content="Governments around the world block access to online content for a variety of reasons: to shield children from obscene content, to prevent access to copyright-infringing material or confusingly named domains, or to protect national security. From democratic nations such as India, the United Kingdom, and South Korea to states with authoritarian governments, states are implementing extensive filtering regimes with varying degrees of transparency and consistency. EFF believes that the blocking and filtering by nation states of the global Internet is a violation of Article 19 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, which grants everyone the right "to seek, receive and impart information and ideas through any media and regardless of frontiers." Since our founding in 1990, we have fought to preserve the capacity of the Internet to allow everyone to speak without hindrance, and for everyone to freely choose who they communicate with, no matter who—or where—they may be. How Countries Block Content There are various methods used to block content online. Government actors can block or tamper with domain names, filter and block specific keywords, block a particular IP address, or urge online content providers to remove content or search results. Often, governments rely upon commercial software to do the job for them. Products readily available on the market for use in homes, schools, and libraries have been used in several countries. Though the export and sale of these tools is generally legal, it often raises questions of human rights and corporate social responsibility. Some countries, such as China, use a combination of the aforementioned techniques, by pervasively blocking keywords, foreign websites, and urging companies such as Google to remove certain content. Others, such as Morocco and Egypt, take a minimalist approach to content blocking, by filtering a certain selection of URLs. The level of transparency in content blocking also differs from country to country. Some offer block pages that explain to users that a site is blocked (as well as, sometimes, why it is blocked) and/or means of challenging a specific site block, while others re-direct the user to an error page; before the fall of the Ben Ali regime, for example, Tunisia famously redirected users to an HTTP 404 error page. Why Countries Block Content Countries block online content for a variety of reasons, often based on national cultural norms or political considerations. India for example, uses the pretext of public safety to enact laws allowing certain websites to be blocked, while other countries, such as Qatar, primarily block websites for containing pornography or other content that they claim offends the sensibilities of their citizens. Russia blocks child pornography, as well as online content containing materials advocating drug abuse, suicide, or “extremism.” Still others block websites or domains under the pretense of preventing copyright or trademark infringement. An increasing number of governments also block websites belonging to their political opposition, human rights organizations, and independent media. What EFF is Doing Whenever possible, EFF engages with policymakers to ensure that the Internet remains an open platform for free expression. We also support the efforts of organizations like Tor to empower Internet users residing in censored countries to protect their identities, circumvent firewalls, and access blocked content. Content blocking occurs in both autocratic and democratic countries. EFF seeks to amplify the voices of local grassroots organizations opposing censorship all over the world, and educate our members about those groups’ concerns. We frequently join international campaigns against censorship, and provide updates on content blocking and other censorship incidents on the Deeplinks blog." /> <link rel="publisher" href="https://www.eff.org/" /> <meta itemprop="image" content="https://www.eff.org/files/eff-og.png" /> <title>Content Blocking | Electronic Frontier Foundation</title> <link type="text/css" rel="stylesheet" href="https://www.eff.org/files/css/css_ys5BgHL2TNyP6_lBf6AQ-QeeC9qTVIuIwGCz7AJJrJA.css" media="all" /> <link type="text/css" rel="stylesheet" href="https://www.eff.org/files/css/css_A-JN-8aa1TwtCqQcy_vmUQJgA1ZgSBu-lBzYB6LT_hc.css" media="all" /> <link type="text/css" rel="stylesheet" href="https://www.eff.org/files/css/css_XHR4l4eATZ3Z8G5dXumYjAu2Fu0j4By-TFNkuRO34U8.css" media="all" /> <script>/** * @licstart The following is the entire license notice for the JavaScript * code in this page. * * Copyright (C) 2025 Electronic Frontier Foundation. * * The JavaScript code in this page is free software: you can redistribute * it and/or modify it under the terms of the GNU General Public License * (GNU GPL) as published by the Free Software Foundation, either version 3 * of the License, or (at your option) any later version. 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From democratic nations such as India, the United Kingdom, and South Korea to states with authoritarian governments, states are implementing extensive filtering regimes with varying degrees of transparency and consistency.</p> <p>EFF believes that the blocking and filtering by nation states of the global Internet is a violation of Article 19 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, which grants everyone the right "to seek, receive and impart information and ideas through any media and regardless of frontiers." Since our founding in 1990, we have fought to preserve the capacity of the Internet to allow everyone to speak without hindrance, and for everyone to freely choose who they communicate with, no matter who—or where—they may be.</p> <h2 class="subhead">How Countries Block Content</h2> <p>There are various methods used to block content online. Government actors can block or tamper with domain names, filter and block specific keywords, block a particular IP address, or urge online content providers to remove content or search results. Often, governments rely upon commercial software to do the job for them. Products readily available on the market for use in homes, schools, and libraries have been used in several countries. Though the export and sale of these tools is generally legal, it often raises questions of human rights and corporate social responsibility. Some countries, such as China, use a combination of the aforementioned techniques, by pervasively blocking keywords, foreign websites, and urging companies such as Google to remove certain content. Others, such as Morocco and Egypt, take a minimalist approach to content blocking, by filtering a certain selection of URLs. The level of transparency in content blocking also differs from country to country. Some offer block pages that explain to users that a site is blocked (as well as, sometimes, why it is blocked) and/or means of challenging a specific site block, while others re-direct the user to an error page; before the fall of the Ben Ali regime, for example, Tunisia famously <a href="http://advocacy.globalvoicesonline.org/2008/09/24/tunisia-404-not-found/">redirected</a> users to an <a href="http://advocacy.globalvoicesonline.org/projects/blockpages/?pid=48">HTTP 404</a> error page.</p> <h2 class="subhead">Why Countries Block Content</h2> <p>Countries block online content for a variety of reasons, often based on national cultural norms or political considerations. India for example, uses the pretext of public safety to enact laws allowing certain websites to be blocked, while other countries, such as Qatar, primarily block websites for containing pornography or other content that they claim offends the sensibilities of their citizens. Russia blocks child pornography, as well as online content containing materials advocating drug abuse, suicide, or “extremism.” Still others block websites or domains under the pretense of preventing copyright or trademark infringement. An increasing number of governments also block websites belonging to their political opposition, human rights organizations, and independent media.</p> <h2 class="subhead">What EFF is Doing</h2> <p>Whenever possible, EFF engages with policymakers to ensure that the Internet remains an open platform for free expression. We also support the efforts of organizations like <a href="http://torproject.org/">Tor</a> to empower Internet users residing in censored countries to protect their identities, circumvent firewalls, and access blocked content. Content blocking occurs in both autocratic and democratic countries. EFF seeks to amplify the voices of local grassroots organizations opposing censorship all over the world, and educate our members about those groups’ concerns. We frequently join international campaigns against censorship, and provide updates on content blocking and other censorship incidents on the <em>Deeplinks</em> blog.</p> </div> <div class="panel-pane pane-donate-call"> <div><a class="compact" href="https://supporters.eff.org/donate"><img src="/sites/all/themes/frontier/images/button-donate.png" alt="" />Protect digital privacy and free expression. EFF's public interest legal work, activism, and software development preserve fundamental rights.</a> <div class="full"><span class="call">Protect digital privacy and free expression. EFF's public interest legal work, activism, and software development preserve fundamental rights.</span> <a class="button" href="https://supporters.eff.org/donate">DONATE TO EFF</a> </div></div> </div> </div> <div class="column side-content"> </div> </div> <div class="onecol column content-footer"> <div class="panel-pane pane-views pane-issues-related-content"> <h2 class="pane-title">EFF Related Content: <a href="/issues/content-blocking" class="active">Content Blocking</a></h2> <div class="view view-issues-related-content view-id-issues_related_content view-display-id-default teaser-feed view-dom-id-efa9f82c26864ea19822ee2d236ce962"> <div class="view-filters"> <form class="ctools-auto-submit-full-form views-exposed-form-issues-related-content-default" action="/" method="get" id="views-exposed-form-issues-related-content-default" accept-charset="UTF-8"><div><div class="views-exposed-form"> <div class="views-exposed-widgets clearfix"> <div id="edit-type-1-wrapper" class="views-exposed-widget views-widget-filter-type_1"> <label for="edit-type-1"> Filter by Type </label> <div class="views-widget"> <div class="form-item form-type-select form-item-type-1"> <select id="edit-type-1" name="type_1" class="form-select"><option value="All" selected="selected">- Any -</option><option value="blog">Deeplinks Blog</option><option value="document">Document</option><option value="event">Event</option><option value="case">Legal Case</option><option value="press_release">Press Release</option><option value="whitepaper">Whitepaper</option></select> </div> </div> </div> <div class="views-exposed-widget views-submit-button"> <input class="ctools-use-ajax ctools-auto-submit-click js-hide form-submit" type="submit" id="edit-submit-issues-related-content" value="Apply" /> </div> </div> </div> </div></form> </div> <div class="view-content"> <div class="item-list"><ul> <li class="views-row views-row-1 views-row-odd views-row-first"><article role="article" class="node node--press-release node--promoted node-teaser node--teaser node--press-release--teaser"> <header> <div class="field field--name-field-banner-graphic field--type-image field--label-hidden"><div class="field__items"><div class="field__item even"><div class="teaser-thumbnail"><a href="/press/releases/eff-and-repro-uncensored-launch-stopcensoringabortion-campaign"><img src="https://www.eff.org/files/styles/teaser/public/banner_library/04_stopcensoringabortion-banner1.png?itok=LuW1f-XE" width="500" height="250" alt="illustration of hands opening box of abortion pills, pulling out insert that says "Access Denied"" title="Stop Censoring Abortion" /></a></div></div></div></div><div class="node-content-type-byline press_release"><a href="/updates?type=press_release">Press Release</a> <span class="node-date"> | February 19, 2025</span> </div> <h3 class="node__title"><a href="/press/releases/eff-and-repro-uncensored-launch-stopcensoringabortion-campaign" rel="bookmark">EFF and Repro Uncensored Launch #StopCensoringAbortion Campaign </a></h3> </header> <div class="node__content"> <div class="eff-translation-links"></div><div class="field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-hidden"><div class="field__items"><div class="field__item even"><p>SAN FRANCISCO—The Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF) and the <a href="https://www.reprouncensored.org/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Repro Uncensored</a> coalition on Wednesday launched the <a href="https://www.eff.org/pages/stop-censoring-abortion" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">#StopCensoringAbortion</a> campaign to ensure that people who need reproductive health and abortion information can find and share it. Censorship of this information by social media companies appears...</p></div></div></div> </div> <ul class="links links--inline node__links"><li class="node-readmore first last"><a href="/press/releases/eff-and-repro-uncensored-launch-stopcensoringabortion-campaign" rel="tag" title="EFF and Repro Uncensored Launch #StopCensoringAbortion Campaign ">Read more<span class="element-invisible"> about EFF and Repro Uncensored Launch #StopCensoringAbortion Campaign </span></a></li> </ul> </article> </li> <li class="views-row views-row-2 views-row-even"><article role="article" class="node node--blog node--promoted node-teaser node--teaser node--blog--teaser"> <header> <div class="field field--name-field-banner-graphic field--type-image field--label-hidden"><div class="field__items"><div class="field__item even"><div class="teaser-thumbnail"><a href="/deeplinks/2025/02/stop-censoring-abortion-fight-reproductive-rights-digital-age"><img src="https://www.eff.org/files/styles/teaser/public/banner_library/04_stopcensoringabortion-banner1.png?itok=LuW1f-XE" width="500" height="250" alt="Hands opening a box of abortion pills and pulling out a insert that says "Access Denied"" title="Stop Censoring Abortion" /></a></div></div></div></div><div class="node-content-type-byline blog"><a href="/updates?type=blog">Deeplinks Blog</a> <span class="node-author"> by <a href="/about/staff/rindala-alajaji">Rindala Alajaji</a></span> <span class="node-date"> | February 19, 2025</span> </div> <h3 class="node__title"><a href="/deeplinks/2025/02/stop-censoring-abortion-fight-reproductive-rights-digital-age" rel="bookmark">Stop Censoring Abortion: The Fight for Reproductive Rights in the Digital Age</a></h3> </header> <div class="node__content"> <div class="eff-translation-links"></div><div class="field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-hidden"><div class="field__items"><div class="field__item even">We are collecting stories from individuals and organizations who have faced censorship on social media platforms to expose the true scale of abortion censorship. Our goal is to demand greater transparency in tech companies' moderation practices and ensure that their actions do not silence critical conversations about reproductive rights.</div></div></div> </div> <ul class="links links--inline node__links"><li class="node-readmore first last"><a href="/deeplinks/2025/02/stop-censoring-abortion-fight-reproductive-rights-digital-age" rel="tag" title="Stop Censoring Abortion: The Fight for Reproductive Rights in the Digital Age">Read more<span class="element-invisible"> about Stop Censoring Abortion: The Fight for Reproductive Rights in the Digital Age</span></a></li> </ul> </article> </li> <li class="views-row views-row-3 views-row-odd"><article role="article" class="node node--blog node--promoted node-teaser node--teaser node--blog--teaser"> <header> <div class="field field--name-field-banner-graphic field--type-image field--label-hidden"><div class="field__items"><div class="field__item even"><div class="teaser-thumbnail"><a href="/deeplinks/2024/10/x-corp-shutdown-brazil-what-we-can-learn"><img src="https://www.eff.org/files/styles/teaser/public/banner_library/brazil-reach-1.png?itok=RCYQ-kb-" width="500" height="250" alt="brazil fake news bill" title="Brazil reach" /></a></div></div></div></div><div class="node-content-type-byline blog"><a href="/updates?type=blog">Deeplinks Blog</a> <span class="node-author"> by <a href="/about/staff/corynne-mcsherry">Corynne McSherry</a></span> <span class="node-date"> | October 8, 2024</span> </div> <h3 class="node__title"><a href="/deeplinks/2024/10/x-corp-shutdown-brazil-what-we-can-learn" rel="bookmark">The X Corp. Shutdown in Brazil: What We Can Learn</a></h3> </header> <div class="node__content"> <div class="eff-translation-links"></div><div class="field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-hidden"><div class="field__items"><div class="field__item even">The feud between X Corp. and Brazil’s Supreme Court continues to drag on.</div></div></div> </div> <ul class="links links--inline node__links"><li class="node-readmore first last"><a href="/deeplinks/2024/10/x-corp-shutdown-brazil-what-we-can-learn" rel="tag" title="The X Corp. Shutdown in Brazil: What We Can Learn">Read more<span class="element-invisible"> about The X Corp. Shutdown in Brazil: What We Can Learn</span></a></li> </ul> </article> </li> <li class="views-row views-row-4 views-row-even"><article role="article" class="node node--blog node--promoted node-teaser node--teaser node--blog--teaser"> <header> <div class="field field--name-field-banner-graphic field--type-image field--label-hidden"><div class="field__items"><div class="field__item even"><div class="teaser-thumbnail"><a href="/deeplinks/2024/09/canadas-leaders-must-reject-overbroad-age-verification-bill"><img src="https://www.eff.org/files/styles/teaser/public/banner_library/icon-2019-privacy.png?itok=cmUhnz1n" width="500" height="250" alt="" /></a></div></div></div></div><div class="node-content-type-byline blog"><a href="/updates?type=blog">Deeplinks Blog</a> <span class="node-author"> by <a href="/about/staff/paige-collings">Paige Collings</a></span> <span class="node-date"> | September 19, 2024</span> </div> <h3 class="node__title"><a href="/deeplinks/2024/09/canadas-leaders-must-reject-overbroad-age-verification-bill" rel="bookmark">Canada’s Leaders Must Reject Overbroad Age Verification Bill </a></h3> </header> <div class="node__content"> <div class="eff-translation-links"></div><div class="field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-hidden"><div class="field__items"><div class="field__item even"><p>Canadian lawmakers are considering a bill, <a href="https://www.parl.ca/DocumentViewer/en/44-1/bill/S-210/third-reading">S-210</a>, that’s meant to benefit children, but would sacrifice the security, privacy, and free speech of all internet users. First introduced in 2023, S-210 seeks to prevent young people from encountering sexually explicit material by requiring <em>all</em> commercial internet services that “make available”...</p></div></div></div> </div> <ul class="links links--inline node__links"><li class="node-readmore first last"><a href="/deeplinks/2024/09/canadas-leaders-must-reject-overbroad-age-verification-bill" rel="tag" title="Canada’s Leaders Must Reject Overbroad Age Verification Bill ">Read more<span class="element-invisible"> about Canada’s Leaders Must Reject Overbroad Age Verification Bill </span></a></li> </ul> </article> </li> <li class="views-row views-row-5 views-row-odd views-row-last"><article role="article" class="node node--document node-teaser node--teaser node--document--teaser"> <header> <div class="teaser-thumbnail"><a href="/document/age-verification-harms-users-all-ages"><img src="https://www.eff.org/files/styles/teaser/public/pdfpreview/18dc8b34f074477f5fa323ace4f4e565.jpg?itok=JKnKGy-d" alt="" /></a></div><div class="node-content-type-byline document"><span>Document</span> <span class="node-date"> | September 11, 2024</span> </div> <h3 class="node__title"><a href="/document/age-verification-harms-users-all-ages" rel="bookmark">Age Verification Harms Users of All Ages</a></h3> </header> <div class="node__content"> <div class="eff-translation-links"></div><div class="field field--name-field-file-description field--type-text field--label-hidden"><div class="field__items"><div class="field__item even"><p>Online child safety is a complex issue. Many recent proposals have tried to require platforms to verify users’ ages in order to see various types of content or access critical services. But without fail, these “age assurance,” “age verification,” or “age estimation” systems hurt user privacy and...</p></div></div></div> </div> <ul class="links links--inline node__links"><li class="node-readmore first last"><a href="/document/age-verification-harms-users-all-ages" rel="tag" title="Age Verification Harms Users of All Ages">Read more<span class="element-invisible"> about Age Verification Harms Users of All Ages</span></a></li> </ul> </article> </li> </ul></div> </div> <h2 class="element-invisible">Pages</h2><ul class="pager"><li class="pager__item pager__item--current">1</li> <li class="pager__item"><a title="Go to page 2" href="/issues/content-blocking?page=1">2</a></li> <li class="pager__item"><a title="Go to page 3" href="/issues/content-blocking?page=2">3</a></li> <li class="pager__item"><a title="Go to page 4" href="/issues/content-blocking?page=3">4</a></li> <li class="pager__item"><a title="Go to page 5" href="/issues/content-blocking?page=4">5</a></li> <li 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