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Internet censorship

Pedestrians and vehicles cross an intersection in downtown Tehran, Iran, April 16, 2026. (AP Photo/Vahid Salemi)
April 19, 2026, 5:54 pm
Iran’s entrepreneurs vexed as internet blackout chokes ability to earn and run firms
Interior designer in Tehran says she was forced to sell valuables to make a living, while owner of Paris-based business says orders have dropped amid shutdown imposed during war
By AFP
A man walks in the damaged headquarters of Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting, Iranian state television, in Tehran, Iran, Thursday, June 19, 2025. (AP Photo/Vahid Salemi)
June 20, 2025, 5:34 pm
Iran’s internet blackout leaves public in dark, creates uneven picture of war with Israel
Iranians seeing only images of missiles hitting Israel amid fears from the regime that the people could rise up when they see how the leadership has been weakened
By Farnoush Amiri
People talk near a Meta sign outside of the company's headquarters in Menlo Park, California, March 7, 2023. (AP Photo/Jeff Chiu)
July 2, 2024, 10:26 pm
Meta to end ‘overbroad’ ban on Arabic word ‘shaheed’ on Facebook, Instagram
Oversight board finds prohibition on the term for ‘martyr,’ sometimes used to honor terrorists, has failed to account for a broad range of meanings
By Reuters
A photo taken on April 3, 2024 shows the logo of US online social media and social networking service Facebook on a smartphone screen in Frankfurt am Main, western Germany. (Kirill KUDRYAVTSEV / AFP)
July 1, 2024, 8:07 pm
US Supreme Court kicks rulings on social media censorship back to lower courts
Judges urge courts in Florida, Texas to reexamine laws that limit ability to control content; firms say their right to censor is key to preventing rampant bullying and hate speech
By John Kruzel
A vendor wearing a face mask checks her smartphone at her store selling Chinese Lunar New Year decorations in Beijing, January 7, 2023. (AP/Andy Wong)
January 7, 2023, 12:49 pm
China cracks down on social media accounts of COVID policy critics
China facing surge in cases as it ends strict virus control, bracing for further spread over Lunar New Year; Beijing also ends criminal charges against border quarantine violators
By AP
Illustrative: The WhatsApp communications app on a smartphone, (AP Photo/Patrick Sison)
January 6, 2023, 7:33 pm
WhatsApp enables users to connect via proxy to outflank repressive regimes
Service debuting feature to help combat internet restrictions
By ToI Staff
Iranian women shout slogans to protest over the death of Mahsa Amini during a demonstration outside the Iranian consulate in Istanbul, Turkey, October 17, 2022. (AP Photo/Emrah Gurel)
October 19, 2022, 3:47 pm
Iran to criminalize sale of VPNs used to skirt internet restrictions
Islamic Republic drastically curtailed access to social media platforms as it grapples with protests over the death of Mahsa Amini after her arrest for alleged dress code violation
By AFP
Screenshots from Orthodox Instagram accounts that announced they would be shutting down after an anti-social media rally in New Jersey in June 2022. (Design by Jackie Hajdenberg/ JTA)
July 3, 2022, 5:01 am
Orthodox women who built businesses, friendships online are being told to sign off
10 years after an ultra-Orthodox anti-internet rally filled a NY stadium to capacity, ladies are urged to attend similar gatherings pressuring them to give up their smart phones
By Jackie Hajdenberg
Col. Kobi Mandelblit, who was nominated to serve as the country's next military censor, on March 24, 2022. (Israel Defense Forces)
March 24, 2022, 7:47 pm
Gantz taps Kobi Mandelblit to serve as next military censor
Colonel, who has served in senior intelligence roles, will replace Doron Ben-Barak, who served in the position since 2020
By Emanuel Fabian
An Iranian man walks past a shuttered store in the capital Tehran, on July 20, 2021. (ATTA KENARE / AFP)
July 22, 2021, 5:17 am
Iran accused of throttling internet to keep lid on water protests
Watchdog says blackout only affecting access to web on cell phones so far, though move ‘consistent with a regional internet shutdown intended to control protests’
By Jon Gambrell
An iPhone displays the Facebook app, August 11, 2019. (AP Photo/Jenny Kane, File)
February 18, 2021, 6:45 pm
Angry backlash, misinformation fears after Facebook blacks out news in Australia
Critics of wide-reaching move say professional journalism acted as a check on the spread of fake news; now it’s been barred from feeds on the social media platform
By Holly Robertson
Col. Doron Ben-Barak, who was nominated to serve as the country's next military censor on July 9, 2020. (Israel Defense Forces)
July 9, 2020, 7:30 pm
Gantz taps Col. Doron Ben-Barak to serve as next military censor
Ben-Barak to replace Col. (res.) Eyal Samuelov, who has served in the position since February, when the previous censor ended her term
By Judah Ari Gross
Iranian protesters gather around a fire during a demonstration against an increase in gasoline prices in the capital Tehran, on November 16, 2019. (AFP/ File)
December 25, 2019, 4:36 pm
Iran limits mobile internet access ahead of expected protests
Tehran disrupts international connections day before commemorations for those killed demonstrating over fuel price hike
By Agencies and ToI Staff
Iranian protesters gather around a burning car during a demonstration against an increase in gasoline prices in the capital Tehran, on November 16, 2019. (AFP)
December 3, 2019, 4:52 pm
Videos from Iran filter online, revealing scope of bloody crackdown
Clips uploaded after Tehran restores internet access show authorities shooting people at close range, destroying property
By Susannah Woods
A woman uses a smartphone while standing on a street in the Iranian capital Tehran on November 23, 2019. (ATTA KENARE/AFP)
November 23, 2019, 4:18 pm
Internet outage forces Iranians to resort to old ways
The seven-day shutdown sees Iranians struggle to communicate with families overseas and takes a heavy toll on online commerce
By AFP
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