Governments around the world are increasingly using internet blocking tactics to address issues like illegal content, copyright infringement, and online dissent. However, a new report from the i2Coalition (Internet Infrastructure Coalition) warns that these methods often have unintended consequences, including disrupting the internet’s core infrastructure and leading to “profound” damage to online freedoms.
Christian Dawson, Executive Director of i2Coalition, called the report a “wake-up call,” emphasizing that DNS resolvers should remain neutral. “When governments use them as censorship tools, the result is overreach and long-term harm to the open Internet,” he stated.
How Governments Block the Internet
Internet blocking tactics range from DNS-based restrictions to more sophisticated AI-driven filters. Experts highlight DNS blocking as the most common method. DNS, or Domain Name System, acts as the internet’s “phone book,” translating website addresses into IP addresses, allowing users to access websites. Because DNS servers are critical to online navigation, they have become a target for censors, especially in countries like Russia, Iran, and China.
In Europe, nations such as Italy, Spain, and France have increasingly adopted DNS-level blocking to combat piracy and harmful content. Meanwhile, the US is debating similar measures to address copyright infringement. But DNS blocking, according to experts, is ineffective—it merely obscures content rather than removing it, leaving it accessible through alternative routes.
VPNs Under Scrutiny
With DNS blocking proving insufficient, authorities are now targeting VPN services. VPNs allow users to mask their IP addresses and bypass restrictions. As a result, VPNs are becoming a primary focus for governments, particularly in Russia, where a law passed in March 2024 criminalized the promotion of methods to bypass internet restrictions, escalating the crackdown on VPNs. Many VPN apps have been removed from official app stores as part of this effort.
European countries, such as Italy and France, have also targeted VPN providers as part of their fight against online piracy. Despite differing motivations, the consequences of these measures remain similar: they disrupt internet access and cause unforeseen issues for users and service providers alike.
Unintended Consequences and Fragmentation
The i2Coalition’s report highlights several cases of “overblocking” and internet fragmentation, noting that measures are often implemented without proper legal or technical precision. In Italy, for example, the country’s Piracy Shield system caused widespread outages on platforms like Google Drive. Following a mandate to block pirated content, AirVPN, a major VPN provider, stopped accepting new subscribers from Italy.
Similar issues have been observed in other countries, including France, Spain, Austria, Portugal, Russia, Malaysia, India, South Korea, Indonesia, Myanmar, Venezuela, and the US. The i2Coalition warns that these actions risk fragmenting the global internet, which relies on trust, neutrality, and common protocols.
What’s Next?
Dawson urges the global community to take action by documenting these incidents and pushing for greater accountability and transparency. The i2Coalition has launched a platform, nsatrisk.org, where individuals can report incidents of overblocking and censorship.
“These actions are undermining the openness of the internet,” said Dawson. “It’s time to shine a spotlight on where it’s breaking—and work together to fix it.”
