ARTICLE 19 report warns domain suspensions risk enabling online censorship
A report by ARTICLE 19 finds that governments are increasingly using DNS-level interventions to block entire websites, raising concerns about proportionality, transparency, and freedom of expression.
Governments are increasingly turning to domain-level interventions to restrict access to online content, according to a new report by ARTICLE 19.
The report points to a growing practice of suspending entire domain names instead of targeting specific pieces of content. This approach operates through the Domain Name System (DNS), a core part of internet infrastructure that enables users to access websites.
The issue lies in how these measures function. When a domain is suspended, all associated content becomes unavailable. This includes unrelated material, archives, and communication services such as email. Unlike content moderation on platforms, which can remove individual posts, DNS-level actions apply broadly and cannot isolate specific content.
The report highlights cases in India, Nicaragua, and Spain where websites were taken offline during politically sensitive periods. It argues that such measures can have disproportionate effects, particularly on journalists, civil society organisations, and independent media.
There are also security considerations. Domain suspensions are used to address threats such as phishing and malware. The Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers defines these as forms of DNS abuse and allows for limited intervention in such cases.
However, the report finds that domain operators are increasingly being asked to address content-related issues. This raises questions about their role, as they are not typically equipped to assess legality or context of speech.
The report also notes a lack of transparency in many decisions and limited options for appeal. It calls for clearer safeguards to ensure that infrastructure-level interventions do not lead to disproportionate restrictions on access to information.
