The War On News

A record of government actions against journalism and fact-based reporting, from the first press laws to today

The record

Incidents: shutdowns and blocking

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.

All filters: country, dates, head of government, sort
CountryArgentina, RSF 2026 rank: 98th of 180Australia, RSF 2026 rank: 33rd of 180Belarus, RSF 2026 rank: 165th of 180Chile, RSF 2026 rank: 70th of 180Czechia, RSF 2026 rank: 11th of 180Ethiopia, RSF 2026 rank: 148th of 180India, RSF 2026 rank: 157th of 180Iran, RSF 2026 rank: 177th of 180Myanmar, RSF 2026 rank: 166th of 180Philippines, RSF 2026 rank: 114th of 180Poland, RSF 2026 rank: 27th of 180Russia, RSF 2026 rank: 172nd of 180South Africa, RSF 2026 rank: 21st of 180Tanzania, RSF 2026 rank: 117th of 180United Kingdom, RSF 2026 rank: 18th of 180United States, RSF 2026 rank: 64th of 180Venezuela, RSF 2026 rank: 159th of 180
ContinentAfricaAsiaEuropeNorth AmericaSouth AmericaOceania
TacticShutdowns and blocking 22Detention and violence 6Expulsion and visa denial 3Prior restraint 3Access bans 2Secrets and espionage laws 2Insult and defamation laws 1Licensing and closure of outlets 1Funding and ownership pressure 1
StagePressure 1Punish 4Silence 17
OutcomeSustained 6Reversed 6Ongoing 4Unknown 3Upheld by a court 3
LevelNational 21State or province 1
Head of governmentAbiy AhmedAlexander DubčekAlexander LukashenkoAugusto PinochetFerdinand MarcosHassan RouhaniJohn CurtinJuan PerónMahmoud AhmadinejadMin Aung HlaingNarendra ModiNicolas MaduroP. W. BothaSamia Suluhu HassanStanley BaldwinVladimir PutinWojciech JaruzelskiWoodrow Wilson

22 incidents match this view.

TableCardsCSVJSONMarkdown
DateIncidentCountryTacticHead of governmentOutcome
29 October 2025Tanzania shuts down internet access on election day amid unrestTanzania (RSF 2026 rank: 117th of 180)Shutdowns and blockingSamia Suluhu HassanUnknown
28 July 2024Venezuela detains, expels and restricts journalists after disputed 2024 electionVenezuela (RSF 2026 rank: 159th of 180)Detention and violenceNicolas MaduroSustained
21 August 2023India: Gaon Savera's Facebook and X accounts blockedIndia (RSF 2026 rank: 157th of 180)Shutdowns and blockingNarendra ModiUnknown
4 March 2022Russia: regulator blocks BBC Russian, Deutsche Welle and other outletsRussia (RSF 2026 rank: 172nd of 180)Shutdowns and blockingVladimir PutinSustained (4 March 2022)
4 March 2022Russia criminalizes 'fake' reporting on the military, up to 15 years in prisonRussia (RSF 2026 rank: 172nd of 180)Insult and defamation lawsVladimir PutinSustained
18 May 2021Belarus blocks Tut.by and arrests its editors as 'extremist'Belarus (RSF 2026 rank: 165th of 180)Shutdowns and blockingAlexander LukashenkoSustained
February 2021Myanmar: military cuts mobile internet after seizing powerMyanmar (RSF 2026 rank: 166th of 180)Shutdowns and blockingMin Aung HlaingOngoing (3 May 2021)
November 2020Ethiopia: internet and phone service cut across TigrayEthiopia (RSF 2026 rank: 148th of 180)Shutdowns and blockingAbiy AhmedOngoing (3 May 2021)
16 November 2019Iran: near-total internet shutdown during fuel-price protestsIran (RSF 2026 rank: 177th of 180)Shutdowns and blockingHassan RouhaniReversed (23 November 2019)
5 August 2019India imposes a communications blackout in Jammu and Kashmir after revoking the region's special statusIndia (RSF 2026 rank: 157th of 180)Shutdowns and blockingNarendra ModiOngoing (5 August 2020)
21 June 2009Iran expels a BBC correspondent and restricts foreign journalists after a disputed 2009 electionIran (RSF 2026 rank: 177th of 180)Expulsion and visa denialMahmoud AhmadinejadUnknown
2 November 1985South Africa bans television and photographic coverage of unrest under a state of emergencySouth Africa (RSF 2026 rank: 21st of 180)Shutdowns and blockingP. W. BothaReversed (1 June 1990)
13 December 1981Poland's martial law government shuts nearly all newspapers and interns journalists overnightPoland (RSF 2026 rank: 27th of 180)Shutdowns and blockingWojciech JaruzelskiReversed (22 July 1983)
11 September 1973Chile's military government shuts opposition radio stations and newspapers after the 1973 coupChile (RSF 2026 rank: 70th of 180)Shutdowns and blockingAugusto PinochetSustained (1 March 1990)
21 September 1972Philippines President Marcos closes every major news outlet under martial lawPhilippines (RSF 2026 rank: 114th of 180)Shutdowns and blockingFerdinand MarcosReversed (25 February 1986)
21 August 1968Soviet-led invasion of Czechoslovakia is followed by the return of government press controlsCzechia (RSF 2026 rank: 11th of 180)Prior restraintAlexander DubčekReversed (1 November 1989)
October 1951Argentina: President Juan Perón's government hands the expropriated newspaper La Prensa to the CGT labor federation, October 1951Argentina (RSF 2026 rank: 98th of 180)Licensing and closure of outletsJuan PerónSustained (1 October 1951)
16 April 1944Australia's wartime government seizes a Sydney newspaper edition under press controls rulesAustralia (RSF 2026 rank: 33rd of 180)Prior restraintJohn CurtinReversed (18 April 1944)
May 1926United Kingdom: Government requisitions newsprint and restricts rival newspapers during the 1926 General StrikeUnited Kingdom (RSF 2026 rank: 18th of 180)Funding and ownership pressureStanley BaldwinOngoing (10 May 1926)
July 1917United States postmaster bars the magazine The Masses from the mail under the Espionage ActUnited States (RSF 2026 rank: 64th of 180)Secrets and espionage lawsWoodrow WilsonUpheld by a court (1 November 1917)
1917United States convicts Mother Earth editor Emma Goldman of draft conspiracy and bars her magazine from the mailUnited States (RSF 2026 rank: 64th of 180)Detention and violenceWoodrow WilsonUpheld by a court (14 January 1918)
1917United States Postmaster General Burleson strips the Milwaukee Leader of its mailing rateUnited States (RSF 2026 rank: 64th of 180)Shutdowns and blockingWoodrow WilsonUpheld by a court (7 March 1921)
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