Internet shutdowns and blackouts can disrupt daily life, threaten safety, skew elections and damage economies.
Today, major restrictions are imposed External linkfor example in China, where Google, Facebook and other social media platforms are blocked; in Iran, which cut access and banned social media during the Iran-Israel war in 2025; and in Russia, where authorities tightened controls on sites and virtual private networks (VPNs) which mask an IP address after the invasion of Ukraine.
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Foreign Affairs
Behind Russia’s digital Iron Curtain: how the West and Switzerland look online
This content was published on
Aug 29, 2025
We demonstrate how Russia’s digital Iron Curtain works with and without a VPN. [Spoiler: Swissinfo’s website doesn’t load in the country without one.]
Read more: Behind Russia’s digital Iron Curtain: how the West and Switzerland look online
Freedom House estimated in 2022 that in 76% of countries worldwide, individuals were arrested or imprisoned for what they posted online.
Have you faced bans, blocks or shutdowns? How did it affect you? Share your story in the comments below.
Edited by Virginie Mangin