Past

Service blocking

DNS, VPN services, Signal, X (Twitter)

In January 2025, Venezuela significantly intensified digital censorship block websites of internet circumvention tools and public DNS servers, severely limiting citizens' access to uncensored information. Beginning as early as January 4 and intensifying around January 6, state-owned ISP CANTV and private operators. Key targets included:

 

  • Public DNS Servers: Over 30 public DNS services were restricted between January 4 and January 11, including major resolvers like Google Public DNS (8.8.8.8) and Cloudflare (1.1.1.1), which are crucial for bypassing content blocks.
  • VPNs and Tor: Major ISPs blocked at least 21 prominent VPN websites and the website Tor network, starting around January 6 and intensifying on January 9.

 

Civil society groups documented these actions as part of a broader government strategy to dismantle the digital infrastructure used by journalists, activists, and the public to access restricted information and communicate securely, particularly during the politically sensitive period surrounding the presidential inauguration.

  • Total Duration 7 days, 13 hours

Flag of Venezuela Venezuela

Population
28,516,896

Freedom House rates Internet freedom as Not Free

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Local impact

The blockade forced users to rely on the default DNS servers provided by local ISPs, which are intentionally slower and configured to facilitate the filtering of independent news websites and social media platforms. By targeting DNS resolvers, authorities directly undermined the public's ability to use basic circumvention techniques, significantly increasing the technical barriers for journalists, activists, and ordinary citizens to access real-time, uncensored information.

Related documentation

This incident aligns with an escalation of digital censorship documented in the VE sin Filtro 2025 Censorship Report. Between July 2024 and January 2025, authorities documented 58 new cases targeting circumvention tools, identifying these as measures to "preserve national stability" and prevent the use of alternative channels to bypass state-mandated content filters.

Other supporting information

VE sin Filtro and OONI revealed a coordinated internet blocking strategy.

CANTV employed aggressive TCP/IP blocks against at least 33 public DNS servers (including 8.8.8.8 and 1.1.1.1). This method is significant because, unlike standard DNS blocking, it prevents direct communication with the servers' IP addresses, rendering manual DNS configuration on user devices ineffective.

Affected Public DNS Server IP Addresses (TCP/IP Blocked by CANTV):

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

  • 1.0.0.1
  • 1.1.1.1
  • 8.8.4.4
  • 8.8.8.8
  • 149.112.112.112
  • 156.154.70.1
  • 156.154.71.1
  • 199.85.126.10
  • 199.85.126.20
  • 199.85.126.30
  • 199.85.127.10
  • 199.85.127.20
  • 199.85.127.30
  • 205.171.2.65
  • 205.171.3.65
  • 208.67.222.220
  • 208.67.222.222
  • 216.146.35.35
  • 216.146.36.36
  • 4.2.2.1
  • 4.2.2.2
  • 4.2.2.3
  • 45.90.28.230
  • 64.6.64.6
  • 64.6.65.6
  • 77.88.8.8
  • 8.20.247.20
  • 8.26.56.26
  • 84.200.69.80
  • 84.200.70.40
  • 9.9.9.9
  • 94.140.14.14
  • 94.140.15.15
OONI measurements for public DNS server
OONI network measurements show the block of public DNS server.

In addition to CANTV's actions, both CANTV and private ISPs like Movistar, Digitel, and Inter implemented DNS and HTTP/HTTPS filtering to block access to VPN websites.

Affected VPN and Circumvention Websites (DNS and HTTP/HTTPS Filtered):

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

  • nordvpn.com
  • protonvpn.com
  • vpn-api.proton.me
  • expressvpn.com
  • www.expressvpn.com
  • surfshark.com
  • mullvad.net
  • tunnelbear.com
  • api.tunnelbear.com
  • psiphon.ca
  • www.torproject.org
  • bridges.torproject.org
  • www.cyberghostvpn.com
  • www.ipvanish.com
  • www.purevpn.com
  • torguard.net
  • hide.me
  • strongvpn.com
  • ultravpn.com
  • speedify.com
  • www.urban-vpn.com
  • www.betternet.co
  • pandavpnpro.com
  • www.hola.org
  • www.itopvpn.com
  • www.browsec.com
  • www.zoogvpn.com
  • brave.com
  • windscribe.com
  • www.hidemyass.com
  • www.vpnsuper.com
OONI measurements for VPN websites in Venezuela
OONI network measurements show the block of VPN websites on several ISPs in Venezuela.

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

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