The War On News

A record of government actions against journalism and fact-based reporting, 1900 to today

Search: surveillance and subpoenas, from 2020, national level

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
CountryAustralia, RSF 2026 rank: 33rd of 180Bangladesh, RSF 2026 rank: 152nd of 180Hungary, RSF 2026 rank: 74th of 180India, RSF 2026 rank: 157th of 180MoroccoUnited States, RSF 2026 rank: 64th of 180
ContinentAfricaAsiaEuropeNorth AmericaOceania
TacticSurveillance and subpoenas 9Detention and violence 2Prior restraint 1
StagePressure 2Punish 7
OutcomeReversed 4Ongoing 2Unknown 2Sustained 1
LevelNational 9
Head of governmentDonald TrumpJoe BidenMuhammad YunusNarendra ModiSaadeddine OthmaniScott MorrisonViktor Orban

9 incidents match this view.

TableCardsCSVJSONMarkdown
DateIncidentCountryTacticHead of governmentOutcome
10 July 2026Customs officers seize Grayzone editor's phones at Virginia airport over Iran reportingUnited States (RSF 2026 rank: 64th of 180)Surveillance and subpoenasDonald TrumpReversed (17 July 2026)
25 April 2025United States: Department of Justice rescission of rules limiting subpoenas of journalists, April 2025United States (RSF 2026 rank: 64th of 180)Surveillance and subpoenasDonald TrumpSustained (25 April 2025)
3 February 2025Journalists beaten in Bangladesh in separate incidents as interim government drafts new cyber lawsBangladesh (RSF 2026 rank: 152nd of 180)Detention and violenceMuhammad YunusOngoing
14 February 2023Indian tax authorities search BBC offices weeks after Modi documentary banIndia (RSF 2026 rank: 157th of 180)Surveillance and subpoenasNarendra ModiUnknown
6 November 2021FBI raids Project Veritas founder's home over Ashley Biden diary investigationUnited States (RSF 2026 rank: 64th of 180)Surveillance and subpoenasJoe BidenUnknown
19 July 2021Justice Department bars seizing reporters' phone and email recordsUnited States (RSF 2026 rank: 64th of 180)Surveillance and subpoenasJoe BidenReversed (25 April 2025)
July 2021Hungary: investigative journalist Szabolcs Panyi's phone is infected with Pegasus spywareHungary (RSF 2026 rank: 74th of 180)Surveillance and subpoenasViktor OrbanOngoing (1 July 2021)
5 July 2020Morocco: investigative journalist Omar Radi's phone is infected with Pegasus spyware and he is later detainedMorocco (RSF rank: not recorded)Surveillance and subpoenasSaadeddine OthmaniReversed (1 July 2024)
15 April 2020Australia's High Court invalidates warrant for raid on journalist Annika SmethurstAustralia (RSF 2026 rank: 33rd of 180)Surveillance and subpoenasScott MorrisonReversed (27 May 2020)
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