i2Coalition highlights impact of DNS-level blocking.
A new report and website from i2Coalition raise concerns about governments increasingly using DNS blocking to control online content, warning that it could harm the global internet.
The report, “DNS at Risk: How Network Blocking and Fragmentation Undermine the Global Internet,” notes that DNS was built to neutrally direct users to websites. Now, it’s being used by governments to block access to content, including copyright violations and politically sensitive material.
But DNS blocking is a blunt instrument that often has collateral damage, such as blocking legitimate websites.
Several examples highlight the collateral damage from DNS blocking. Italy’s “Piracy Shield” program mistakenly blocked Google Drive and many legitimate websites using Cloudflare. Similarly, Spain’s court order to stop illegal sports streaming accidentally took thousands of legitimate sites offline.
Cases in Malaysia, Austria, and South Korea show similar problems. Recently, Austria’s telecom regulator reversed a decision on IP blocking due to widespread harm to innocent sites.
In another example, the U.S. government took down an entire website that had thousands of subdomains used by individual users and businesses because of the content on one of those subdomains.
The report urges policymakers and internet service providers to refrain from using DNS for broad content regulation. It emphasizes the use of targeted methods instead, warning that the misuse of DNS threatens the internet’s openness and stability.
The report is available on i2Coalition’s issue website DNSatRisk.org. The site allows users to submit additional case studies.
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