Global platform blocks: A timeline of recent restrictions
The internet continues to fragment.
The fragmentation of the global internet accelerates as governments increasingly use platform blocks to control information flows.
Some recent examples documented by the Open Observatory of Network Interference):
- El Salvador blocked Telegram in September 2024.
- Russia blocked Discord in October 2024 (ongoing block).
- Turkey blocked Discord in October 2024 (ongoing block).
- Azerbaijan blocked Twitter/X in October 2024.
- Mozambique blocked Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp amid the protests in November 2024.
- Kenya blocked Telegram amid the exam period in November 2024.
- Russia blocked Viber in December 2024 (ongoing block).
- Albania appears to have started blocking TikTok on some networks yesterday.
The great folks at OONI are collecting more measurements from Albania to confirm this block. If you're there, or have friends there: running this test helps gather evidence.