The NetBlocks internet observatory has collected technical evidence of the blocking all editions of Wikipedia in Venezuela as of 12 January 2019. The restrictions are implemented by the largest telecommunications provider CANTV.

The study comprising 60,000 metrics has also identified a major network disruption affecting telecommunications infrastructure, coinciding with the other restrictions, that will have impacted Venezuelans’ ability to communicate and access information during the previous 24 hours.

In context The site appeared to be partially accessible as of morning 14th January 2019 though the block is ongoing; the contested Wikipedia articles remained locked down by editors.

The restrictions are understood to follow a bitter Wikipedia edit war where editors put forward conflicting views, during which newly-appointed National Assembly president Juan Guaidó was listed as “president number 51 of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela.”

Data also show that a number of local sites have been recently restricted, indicating that recent political instability may be the underlying cause for a tightening regime of internet controls.

Venezuela joins Turkey as the only other country presently known to block the entirety of the Wikipedia online encyclopaedia.

The findings are corroborated by several CANTV subscribers who report they can only access Wikipedia using VPN connections which can circumvent censorship.

It could not be ascertained at the time of writing whether an official blocking order has been issued or whether the restriction is intended to be permanent. Other Wikimedia projects such as Wikidata and Wikimedia Commons have not been affected.

The NetBlocks Group is a civil society group working at the intersection of digital rights, cyber-security and internet governance. Independent and non-partisan, NetBlocks strives for an open and inclusive digital future for all. </s> Turkish authorities Saturday blocked access to online encyclopedia Wikipedia, an internet monitoring group said, the latest in what government critics say is a crackdown on free speech on the internet.

A block on all language editions of the Wikipedia website was detected at 8 a.m. (0500 GMT) Saturday, monitoring group Turkey Blocks said on its website.

“The loss of availability is consistent with internet filters used to censor content in the country,” it said.

When attempting to access the webpage using Turkish internet providers, users received a notice the site could not be reached and a “connection timed out” error.

Monitoring groups have accused Turkey of blocking access to social media sites such as Twitter or Facebook, particularly in the aftermath of militant attacks.

The government has in the past denied that it blocks the internet, blaming outages on spikes in usage after major events.

There is no official statement on why the site has been blocked but Turkish media is reporting the cause as “terror-related content.”

Media reports

 

 Daily Hurriyet newspaper said Turkey has been in communication with Wikipedia for the removal of content supporting terror and presenting Turkey as a “supporter of terror.”

 

 NTV reported that Turkey demanded Wikipedia to open an office in the country, act in line with international law and abide by court decisions and “not be part of the blackout operation against Turkey.”

 

 If these demands are met and the content removed, the site would be reopened, according to Turkish media.

 

 When attempting to access the site without the use of a virtual private network (VPN), connections time out and browsers alert “this site can’t be reached.” </s> Alwaght- Turkey has blocked all access to Wikipedia, a free online encyclopedia, a monitoring network reported on Saturday.

"A block affecting all language editions of the website (Wikipedia) detected at 8:00AM local time Saturday 29 April. The loss of availability is consistent with internet filters used to censor content in the country," Turkey Blocks reported.

The independent "digital transparency project" said "The loss of availability is consistent with internet filters used to censor content in the country".

The site has been blocked under a provisional administrative measure without a court order but Turkey Blocks says an order is expected in the coming days. The measure has been implemented by the country's Information and Communication Technologies Authority.

Turkey’s Information and Communication Technologies Authority confirmed the ban in a statement but gave no details.

 

 "After technical analysis and legal consideration based on the Law Nr. 5651, an administrative measure has been taken for this website wikipedia.org," it said.

Daily Hurriyet newspaper said Turkey has been in communication with Wikipedia for the removal of content supporting terror and presenting Turkey as a "supporter of terror."

NTV reported that Turkey demanded Wikipedia to open an office in the country, act in line with international law and abide by court decisions and "not be part of the blackout operation against Turkey."

If these demands are met and the content removed, the site would be reopened, according to Turkish media.

When attempting to access the site without the use of a virtual private network (VPN), connections time out and browsers alert "this site can't be reached." </s> Turkey has blocked access to the online encyclopaedia Wikipedia, citing a law allowing it to ban access to websites deemed obscene or a threat to national security.

ISTANBUL—Access to Wikipedia, a free online encyclopedia, has been blocked in Turkey for content presenting the country as supporting terror.

Turkey’s official news agency, quoting the Ministry of Transport, Maritime Affairs and Communications, said Saturday the site was blocked for “becoming an information source acting with groups conducting a smear campaign against Turkey in the international arena.”

Turkey Blocks, an internet censorship monitor, said users in Turkey have been unable to access all language editions of Wikipedia since 8 a.m. Saturday. “The loss of availability is consistent with internet filters used to censor content in the country,” the monitor said.

The site has been blocked under a provisional administrative measure without a court order but Turkey Blocks said an order is expected in the coming days. The measure has been implemented by the country’s Information and Communication Technologies Authority.
All editions of Wikipedia are blocked in Venezuela by state-owned CANTV amid an ongoing political crisis.