A recent report from i2Coalition raises significant concerns about governments increasingly resorting to DNS blocking to control online content, warning that such actions could jeopardize the integrity of the global internet. The report, titled “DNS at Risk: How Network Blocking and Fragmentation Undermine the Global Internet,” argues that the Domain Name System (DNS) was initially designed to direct users neutrally to websites. However, it now faces misuse as governments attempt to limit access to various materials, including those related to copyright infringement and politically sensitive topics.

The report highlights that DNS blocking can lead to widespread collateral damage, inadvertently blocking legitimate websites alongside targeted content. Examples from various countries illustrate this issue; for instance, Italy’s “Piracy Shield” program mistakenly obstructed access to Google Drive and numerous legitimate sites associated with Cloudflare. Similarly, a court ruling in Spain intended to curb illegal sports streaming inadvertently took thousands of lawful sites offline.

Further incidents in countries like Malaysia, Austria, and South Korea echo the same problems. Notably, Austria’s telecom regulator recently changed its stance on IP blocking after witnessing extensive negative impacts on innocent websites. In a significant case, the U.S. government shut down a whole website that hosted thousands of subdomains belonging to individual users and businesses based solely on issues arising from a single subdomain.

The report calls on policymakers and internet service providers to avoid leveraging DNS for broad content regulation, advocating instead for more targeted approaches. It emphasizes that improper use of DNS could threaten the internet’s openness and stability. The report is accessible on i2Coalition’s dedicated website, allowing users to contribute additional case studies related to DNS blocking.

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