Past

Service blocking

Telegram, X (Twitter), Signal

Venezuelan ISPs have blocked access to X (formerly Twitter), Signal and Telegram as part of a broader pattern of digital censorship. X and Signal have been blocked in Venezuela since 8 August 2024, amidst protests against disputed election results announced by authorities. On 10 January 2025, Telegram was also blocked for approximately 24hours. These measures align with Venezuela's history of digital censorship, where social media platforms are frequently restricted during politically sensitive periods.

  • Total Duration 1 day

Flag of Venezuela Venezuela

Population
28,516,896

Freedom House rates Internet freedom as Not Free

View full country profile for Venezuela

Local impact

The simultaneous blocking of Telegram, Signal and X (formerly Twitter) in January 2025 created a significant information vacuum in Venezuela, disrupting essential communication channels for citizens, journalists, and civil society organizations. This severely impaired the public’s ability to access real-time news, document events, and coordinate civic activities during a period of acute political sensitivity. The disruption was observed across multiple Internet Service Providers (ISPs), including the state-owned CANTV and major private operators, highlighting the centralized nature of digital censorship in the country. This multi-platform blockade underscores the heightened vulnerability of digital rights in Venezuela and demonstrates the strategic use of network interference to suppress the free flow of information during critical political transitions.

Related documentation

On 8 August 2024, Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro ordered the suspension of X (Twitter) for an initial period of 10 days, citing the need to "preserve peace and social stability.". However, the block has continued indefinitely beyond the announced deadline. Meanwhile, Telegram was inaccessible for 24 hours on January 10, 2025 without any public or official order.

Other supporting information

On 10 January 2025, Telegram was blocked for 24 hours on CANTV as reported by VE sin Filtro, based on ad-hoc and OONI Measurements.

OONI measurements for telegram.org in Venezuela
OONI network measurements show Telegram blocked on CANTV.

Concurrently, on 8 August 2024, Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro ordered blocking X (formerly Twitter) in Venezuela for an initial period of 10 days that was extended without clarification, as reported by VE sin Filtro monitoring project of the local digital rights organization Conexión Segura y Libre (CSL). Later on the same day, the domain signal.org was also blocked, affecting the messaging application's operation.

OONI measurements for x.com and signal.org in Venezuela
OONI network measurements show the continuous block of X (formerly Twitter) on several ISPs in Venezuela.

Different ISPs implemented the block in different ways, but some of the affected domains are:

  • x.com
  • api.x.com
  • api.twitter.com
  • abs.twimg.com
  • pbs.twimg.com

Social media

Shutdown history

  • 18 shutdowns since 2019
  • 301 shutdown hours since 2019

View as a list

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