# Incidents: shutdowns and blocking, national level

Each incident is a dated action by a government, an official, a regulator, a court or a legislature that limited journalists' ability to gather or publish news.

The number of entries reflects the depth of this record, not the severity of a country's conduct.

Filters: country, continent, tactic, stage, from, to, level, actor, leader, outlet, outcome, source_kind, has_case, plus q, sort (date, date_asc, country, tactic, relevance), per_page (up to 100), page and view (table or cards), as query parameters.

18 incidents match this view.

| Date | Incident | Country | Tactic | Head of government | Outcome |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| October 29, 2025 | [Tanzania shuts down internet access on election day amid unrest](https://thewaronnews.com/incidents/2025-tanzania-internet-shutdown-election-day) | [Tanzania](https://thewaronnews.com/countries/tz) ([RSF 2026 rank: 117th of 180](https://rsf.org/en/index)) | [Shutdowns and blocking](https://thewaronnews.com/tactics/shutdowns_and_blocking) | [Samia Suluhu Hassan](https://thewaronnews.com/leaders/samia-suluhu-hassan) | Unknown |
| July 28, 2024 | [Venezuela detains, expels and restricts journalists after disputed 2024 election](https://thewaronnews.com/incidents/2024-venezuela-post-election-press-crackdown) | [Venezuela](https://thewaronnews.com/countries/ve) ([RSF 2026 rank: 159th of 180](https://rsf.org/en/index)) | [Detention and violence](https://thewaronnews.com/tactics/detention_and_violence) | [Nicolas Maduro](https://thewaronnews.com/leaders/nicolas-maduro) | Sustained |
| August 21, 2023 | [India: Gaon Savera's Facebook and X accounts blocked](https://thewaronnews.com/incidents/2023-india-blocks-gaon-savera-accounts) | [India](https://thewaronnews.com/countries/in) ([RSF 2026 rank: 157th of 180](https://rsf.org/en/index)) | [Shutdowns and blocking](https://thewaronnews.com/tactics/shutdowns_and_blocking) | [Narendra Modi](https://thewaronnews.com/leaders/narendra-modi) | Unknown |
| March 4, 2022 | [Russia: regulator blocks BBC Russian, Deutsche Welle and other outlets](https://thewaronnews.com/incidents/2022-russia-blocks-bbc-dw-meduza) | [Russia](https://thewaronnews.com/countries/ru) ([RSF 2026 rank: 172nd of 180](https://rsf.org/en/index)) | [Shutdowns and blocking](https://thewaronnews.com/tactics/shutdowns_and_blocking) | [Vladimir Putin](https://thewaronnews.com/leaders/vladimir-putin) | Sustained (March 4, 2022) |
| March 4, 2022 | [Russia criminalizes 'fake' reporting on the military, up to 15 years in prison](https://thewaronnews.com/incidents/2022-russia-criminalizes-fake-war-reports) | [Russia](https://thewaronnews.com/countries/ru) ([RSF 2026 rank: 172nd of 180](https://rsf.org/en/index)) | [Insult and defamation laws](https://thewaronnews.com/tactics/insult_and_defamation_laws) | [Vladimir Putin](https://thewaronnews.com/leaders/vladimir-putin) | Sustained |
| May 18, 2021 | [Belarus blocks Tut.by and arrests its editors as 'extremist'](https://thewaronnews.com/incidents/2021-belarus-blocks-tutby-arrests-staff) | [Belarus](https://thewaronnews.com/countries/by) ([RSF 2026 rank: 165th of 180](https://rsf.org/en/index)) | [Shutdowns and blocking](https://thewaronnews.com/tactics/shutdowns_and_blocking) | [Alexander Lukashenko](https://thewaronnews.com/leaders/alexander-lukashenko) | Sustained |
| February 2021 | [Myanmar: military cuts mobile internet after seizing power](https://thewaronnews.com/incidents/2021-myanmar-military-internet-shutdown) | [Myanmar](https://thewaronnews.com/countries/mm) ([RSF 2026 rank: 166th of 180](https://rsf.org/en/index)) | [Shutdowns and blocking](https://thewaronnews.com/tactics/shutdowns_and_blocking) | [Min Aung Hlaing](https://thewaronnews.com/leaders/min-aung-hlaing) | Ongoing (May 3, 2021) |
| November 16, 2019 | [Iran: near-total internet shutdown during fuel-price protests](https://thewaronnews.com/incidents/2019-iran-nationwide-internet-shutdown) | [Iran](https://thewaronnews.com/countries/ir) ([RSF 2026 rank: 177th of 180](https://rsf.org/en/index)) | [Shutdowns and blocking](https://thewaronnews.com/tactics/shutdowns_and_blocking) | [Hassan Rouhani](https://thewaronnews.com/leaders/hassan-rouhani) | Reversed (November 23, 2019) |
| August 5, 2019 | [India imposes a communications blackout in Jammu and Kashmir after revoking the region's special status](https://thewaronnews.com/incidents/2019-india-kashmir-communications-blackout) | [India](https://thewaronnews.com/countries/in) ([RSF 2026 rank: 157th of 180](https://rsf.org/en/index)) | [Shutdowns and blocking](https://thewaronnews.com/tactics/shutdowns_and_blocking) | [Narendra Modi](https://thewaronnews.com/leaders/narendra-modi) | Ongoing (August 5, 2020) |
| June 21, 2009 | [Iran expels a BBC correspondent and restricts foreign journalists after a disputed 2009 election](https://thewaronnews.com/incidents/2009-iran-post-election-foreign-press-restrictions) | [Iran](https://thewaronnews.com/countries/ir) ([RSF 2026 rank: 177th of 180](https://rsf.org/en/index)) | [Expulsion and visa denial](https://thewaronnews.com/tactics/expulsion_and_visa_denial) | [Mahmoud Ahmadinejad](https://thewaronnews.com/leaders/mahmoud-ahmadinejad) | Unknown |
| November 2, 1985 | [South Africa bans television and photographic coverage of unrest under a state of emergency](https://thewaronnews.com/incidents/1985-south-africa-state-of-emergency-media-ban) | [South Africa](https://thewaronnews.com/countries/za) ([RSF 2026 rank: 21st of 180](https://rsf.org/en/index)) | [Shutdowns and blocking](https://thewaronnews.com/tactics/shutdowns_and_blocking) | [P. W. Botha](https://thewaronnews.com/leaders/p-w-botha) | Reversed (June 1, 1990) |
| December 13, 1981 | [Poland's martial law government shuts nearly all newspapers and interns journalists overnight](https://thewaronnews.com/incidents/1981-poland-martial-law-press-suspended) | [Poland](https://thewaronnews.com/countries/pl) ([RSF 2026 rank: 27th of 180](https://rsf.org/en/index)) | [Shutdowns and blocking](https://thewaronnews.com/tactics/shutdowns_and_blocking) | [Wojciech Jaruzelski](https://thewaronnews.com/leaders/wojciech-jaruzelski) | Reversed (July 22, 1983) |
| September 11, 1973 | [Chile's military government shuts opposition radio stations and newspapers after the 1973 coup](https://thewaronnews.com/incidents/1973-chile-coup-press-shutdown) | [Chile](https://thewaronnews.com/countries/cl) ([RSF 2026 rank: 70th of 180](https://rsf.org/en/index)) | [Shutdowns and blocking](https://thewaronnews.com/tactics/shutdowns_and_blocking) | [Augusto Pinochet](https://thewaronnews.com/leaders/augusto-pinochet) | Sustained (March 1, 1990) |
| September 21, 1972 | [Philippines President Marcos closes every major news outlet under martial law](https://thewaronnews.com/incidents/1972-philippines-marcos-martial-law-media-closures) | [Philippines](https://thewaronnews.com/countries/ph) ([RSF 2026 rank: 114th of 180](https://rsf.org/en/index)) | [Shutdowns and blocking](https://thewaronnews.com/tactics/shutdowns_and_blocking) | [Ferdinand Marcos](https://thewaronnews.com/leaders/ferdinand-marcos) | Reversed (February 25, 1986) |
| August 21, 1968 | [Soviet-led invasion of Czechoslovakia is followed by the return of government press controls](https://thewaronnews.com/incidents/1968-czechoslovakia-normalization-censorship) | [Czechia](https://thewaronnews.com/countries/cz) ([RSF 2026 rank: 11th of 180](https://rsf.org/en/country-czechia)) | [Prior restraint](https://thewaronnews.com/tactics/prior_restraint) | [Alexander Dubček](https://thewaronnews.com/leaders/alexander-dubcek) | Reversed (November 1, 1989) |
| April 16, 1944 | [Australia's wartime government seizes a Sydney newspaper edition under press controls rules](https://thewaronnews.com/incidents/1944-australia-calwell-newspaper-seizure) | [Australia](https://thewaronnews.com/countries/au) ([RSF 2026 rank: 33rd of 180](https://rsf.org/en/index)) | [Prior restraint](https://thewaronnews.com/tactics/prior_restraint) | [John Curtin](https://thewaronnews.com/leaders/john-curtin) | Reversed (April 18, 1944) |
| July 1917 | [United States postmaster bars the magazine The Masses from the mail under the Espionage Act](https://thewaronnews.com/incidents/1917-us-espionage-act-bars-the-masses-from-the-mail) | [United States](https://thewaronnews.com/countries/us) ([RSF 2026 rank: 64th of 180](https://rsf.org/en/index)) | [Secrets and espionage laws](https://thewaronnews.com/tactics/secrets_and_espionage_laws) | [Woodrow Wilson](https://thewaronnews.com/leaders/woodrow-wilson) | Upheld by a court (November 1, 1917) |
| 1917 | [United States Postmaster General Burleson strips the Milwaukee Leader of its mailing rate](https://thewaronnews.com/incidents/1917-us-burleson-mail-ban-milwaukee-leader) | [United States](https://thewaronnews.com/countries/us) ([RSF 2026 rank: 64th of 180](https://rsf.org/en/index)) | [Shutdowns and blocking](https://thewaronnews.com/tactics/shutdowns_and_blocking) | [Woodrow Wilson](https://thewaronnews.com/leaders/woodrow-wilson) | Upheld by a court (March 7, 1921) |

Download this view. CSV, JSON or Markdown. CC BY 4.0; credit "The War On News, thewaronnews.com".
- CSV: https://thewaronnews.com/incidents?tactic=shutdowns_and_blocking&level=national&format=csv
- JSON: https://thewaronnews.com/incidents.json?tactic=shutdowns_and_blocking&level=national
- Markdown: https://thewaronnews.com/incidents.md?tactic=shutdowns_and_blocking&level=national

- Incidents (RSS): https://thewaronnews.com/incidents/feed.xml
- Incidents (Atom): https://thewaronnews.com/incidents/atom.xml
- Incidents (JSON Feed): https://thewaronnews.com/incidents/feed.json
- All incidents (CSV): https://thewaronnews.com/incidents.csv

Source page: https://thewaronnews.com/incidents?tactic=shutdowns_and_blocking&level=national. The War On News, CC BY 4.0.