# Search: prior restraint, national level

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.

23 incidents match this view.

| Date | Incident | Country | Tactic | Head of government | Outcome |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| September 19, 2025 | [United States: Department of Defense press credential rules requiring approval before release of information, September 2025](https://thewaronnews.com/incidents/2025-pentagon-issues-new-press-credentialing-rules) | [United States](https://thewaronnews.com/countries/us) ([RSF 2026 rank: 64th of 180](https://rsf.org/en/index)) | [Credential control](https://thewaronnews.com/tactics/credential_control) | [Donald Trump](https://thewaronnews.com/leaders/donald-trump) | Ongoing (April 9, 2026) |
| March 2024 | [Bombay High Court strikes down India's government 'fact check unit' rule](https://thewaronnews.com/incidents/2024-india-court-strikes-down-fact-check-unit) | [India](https://thewaronnews.com/countries/in) ([RSF 2026 rank: 157th of 180](https://rsf.org/en/index)) | [Official labels](https://thewaronnews.com/tactics/disinformation_labeling) | [Narendra Modi](https://thewaronnews.com/leaders/narendra-modi) | Reversed (September 20, 2024) |
| February 22, 2023 | [Turkiye: the broadcast regulator fines and suspends channels for earthquake coverage](https://thewaronnews.com/incidents/2023-turkiye-rtuk-fines-earthquake-coverage) | [Türkiye](https://thewaronnews.com/countries/tr) ([RSF 2026 rank: 163rd of 180](https://rsf.org/en/index)) | [Prior restraint](https://thewaronnews.com/tactics/prior_restraint) | [Recep Tayyip Erdoğan](https://thewaronnews.com/leaders/recep-tayyip-erdogan) | Sustained (February 22, 2023) |
| February 14, 2023 | [Indian tax authorities search BBC offices weeks after Modi documentary ban](https://thewaronnews.com/incidents/2023-india-tax-authorities-raid-bbc-offices) | [India](https://thewaronnews.com/countries/in) ([RSF 2026 rank: 157th of 180](https://rsf.org/en/index)) | [Surveillance and subpoenas](https://thewaronnews.com/tactics/surveillance_and_subpoenas) | [Narendra Modi](https://thewaronnews.com/leaders/narendra-modi) | Unknown |
| September 12, 2020 | [Political appointees alter CDC coronavirus guidance before public release](https://thewaronnews.com/incidents/2020-hhs-officials-alter-cdc-covid-guidance-before-publication) | [United States](https://thewaronnews.com/countries/us) ([RSF 2026 rank: 64th of 180](https://rsf.org/en/index)) | [Prior restraint](https://thewaronnews.com/tactics/prior_restraint) | [Donald Trump](https://thewaronnews.com/leaders/donald-trump) | Unknown |
| October 2018 | [Egypt: a license requirement leaves an independent news site unable to operate legally for years](https://thewaronnews.com/incidents/2018-egypt-scmr-license-requirement-al-manassa) | [Egypt](https://thewaronnews.com/countries/eg) ([RSF 2026 rank: 169th of 180](https://rsf.org/en/index)) | [Prior restraint](https://thewaronnews.com/tactics/prior_restraint) | [Abdel Fattah el-Sisi](https://thewaronnews.com/leaders/abdel-fattah-el-sisi) | Ongoing (October 26, 2020) |
| June 2010 | [Israel: a court bars any mention of the 'Prisoner X' case](https://thewaronnews.com/incidents/2010-israel-prisoner-x-gag-order) | [Israel](https://thewaronnews.com/countries/il) ([RSF 2026 rank: 116th of 180](https://rsf.org/en/index)) | [Prior restraint](https://thewaronnews.com/tactics/prior_restraint) | [Benjamin Netanyahu](https://thewaronnews.com/leaders/benjamin-netanyahu) | Unknown (June 1, 2010) |
| February 10, 2003 | [Pentagon sets ground rules for journalists embedded with United States forces in Iraq](https://thewaronnews.com/incidents/2003-us-pentagon-embedding-rules-iraq) | [United States](https://thewaronnews.com/countries/us) ([RSF 2026 rank: 64th of 180](https://rsf.org/en/index)) | [Access bans](https://thewaronnews.com/tactics/access_ban) | [George W. Bush](https://thewaronnews.com/leaders/george-w-bush) | Sustained (April 14, 2003) |
| October 1988 | [United Kingdom bars broadcasters from airing Sinn Féin members' own voices](https://thewaronnews.com/incidents/1988-uk-broadcasting-ban-sinn-fein) | [United Kingdom](https://thewaronnews.com/countries/gb) ([RSF 2026 rank: 18th of 180](https://rsf.org/en/index)) | [Licensing and closure of outlets](https://thewaronnews.com/tactics/outlet_licensing) | [Margaret Thatcher](https://thewaronnews.com/leaders/margaret-thatcher) | Reversed (September 16, 1994) |
| September 18, 1988 | [Burma's new military government tightens pre-publication press controls after seizing power](https://thewaronnews.com/incidents/1988-burma-slorc-press-scrutiny) | [Myanmar](https://thewaronnews.com/countries/mm) ([RSF 2026 rank: 166th of 180](https://rsf.org/en/index)) | [Prior restraint](https://thewaronnews.com/tactics/prior_restraint) | [Saw Maung](https://thewaronnews.com/leaders/saw-maung) | Ongoing (January 1, 1989) |
| March 24, 1976 | [Argentina's military junta threatens journalists with prison for reporting on its opponents](https://thewaronnews.com/incidents/1976-argentina-junta-press-decrees) | [Argentina](https://thewaronnews.com/countries/ar) ([RSF 2026 rank: 98th of 180](https://rsf.org/en/index)) | [Detention and violence](https://thewaronnews.com/tactics/detention_and_violence) | [Jorge Rafael Videla](https://thewaronnews.com/leaders/jorge-videla) | Reversed (December 10, 1983) |
| June 26, 1975 | [India imposes pre-press controls on every newspaper during the 1975 Emergency](https://thewaronnews.com/incidents/1975-india-emergency-press-censorship) | [India](https://thewaronnews.com/countries/in) ([RSF 2026 rank: 157th of 180](https://rsf.org/en/index)) | [Prior restraint](https://thewaronnews.com/tactics/prior_restraint) | [Indira Gandhi](https://thewaronnews.com/leaders/indira-gandhi) | Reversed (March 21, 1977) |
| 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) |
| June 15, 1971 | [United States government seeks an injunction to stop The New York Times publishing the Pentagon Papers](https://thewaronnews.com/incidents/1971-us-pentagon-papers-injunction) | [United States](https://thewaronnews.com/countries/us) ([RSF 2026 rank: 64th of 180](https://rsf.org/en/index)) | [Prior restraint](https://thewaronnews.com/tactics/prior_restraint) | [Richard Nixon](https://thewaronnews.com/leaders/richard-nixon) | Reversed (June 30, 1971) |
| 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) |
| July 17, 1950 | [South Africa's Suppression of Communism Act lets the government ban publications and restrict individuals](https://thewaronnews.com/incidents/1950-south-africa-suppression-of-communism-act) | [South Africa](https://thewaronnews.com/countries/za) ([RSF 2026 rank: 21st of 180](https://rsf.org/en/index)) | [Prior restraint](https://thewaronnews.com/tactics/prior_restraint) | [Daniel François Malan](https://thewaronnews.com/leaders/daniel-francois-malan) | Reversed (February 2, 1990) |
| 1948 | [Israel retains a British-era law giving the military the power to review and restrict the press](https://thewaronnews.com/incidents/1948-israel-military-censorship-established) | [Israel](https://thewaronnews.com/countries/il) ([RSF 2026 rank: 116th of 180](https://rsf.org/en/index)) | [Prior restraint](https://thewaronnews.com/tactics/prior_restraint) | [David Ben-Gurion](https://thewaronnews.com/leaders/david-ben-gurion) | Ongoing (January 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) |
| December 19, 1941 | [United States creates an Office of Censorship and a wartime code for the press](https://thewaronnews.com/incidents/1941-us-office-of-censorship-wartime-press-code) | [United States](https://thewaronnews.com/countries/us) ([RSF 2026 rank: 64th of 180](https://rsf.org/en/index)) | [Prior restraint](https://thewaronnews.com/tactics/prior_restraint) | [Franklin D. Roosevelt](https://thewaronnews.com/leaders/franklin-d-roosevelt) | Sustained (September 28, 1945) |
| 1939 | [Brazil's Vargas government creates a state messaging department with broad press powers](https://thewaronnews.com/incidents/1939-brazil-vargas-creates-dip) | [Brazil](https://thewaronnews.com/countries/br) ([RSF 2026 rank: 52nd of 180](https://rsf.org/en/index)) | [Licensing and closure of outlets](https://thewaronnews.com/tactics/outlet_licensing) | [Getúlio Vargas](https://thewaronnews.com/leaders/getulio-vargas) | Reversed (January 1, 1945) |
| April 1938 | [Franco's Spain requires state permission to be a journalist under a wartime Press Law](https://thewaronnews.com/incidents/1938-spain-franco-press-law) | [Spain](https://thewaronnews.com/countries/es) ([RSF 2026 rank: 29th of 180](https://rsf.org/en/index)) | [Credential control](https://thewaronnews.com/tactics/credential_control) | [Francisco Franco](https://thewaronnews.com/leaders/francisco-franco) | Reversed (April 1, 1977) |
| 1933 | [Portugal's Salazar government formally establishes press controls under a new constitution](https://thewaronnews.com/incidents/1933-portugal-salazar-formal-censorship) | [Portugal](https://thewaronnews.com/countries/pt) ([RSF 2026 rank: 10th of 180](https://rsf.org/en/index)) | [Prior restraint](https://thewaronnews.com/tactics/prior_restraint) | [António de Oliveira Salazar](https://thewaronnews.com/leaders/antonio-salazar) | Reversed (April 25, 1974) |
| 1922 | [Soviet Russia creates Glavlit, a central office to review all printed material before publication](https://thewaronnews.com/incidents/1922-ussr-glavlit-censorship) | [Russia](https://thewaronnews.com/countries/ru) ([RSF 2026 rank: 172nd of 180](https://rsf.org/en/index)) | [Prior restraint](https://thewaronnews.com/tactics/prior_restraint) | [Vladimir Lenin](https://thewaronnews.com/leaders/vladimir-lenin) | Ongoing (January 1, 1989) |

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