'{{short description|Restriction on accessing an online resource}} {{about|access restriction on the internet|subsets of the internet|IP range}} {{selfref|For access restriction blocks on Wikipedia, see [[Wikipedia:Blocking policy]].}} [[File:Blocknotice-wikipedia.PNG|thumb|right|A notice informing a user of their block on the [[English Wikipedia]]]] [[File:Telegram account is limited.png|thumb|A [[Telegram (software)|Telegram]] user is blocked.|355x355px]] On the [[Internet]], a '''block''' or '''ban''' is a technical measure intended to restrict access to information or resources. Blocking and its inverse, unblocking, may be implemented by the owners of computers using software.<ref name="Westfall">{{cite web|last=Westfall|first=Joseph|year=2012|title=Internet Blocking|url=https://aofirs.org/articles/internet-blocking|access-date=8 February 2021|website=Association of Internet Research Specialists|archive-date=12 March 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210312222618/https://aofirs.org/articles/internet-blocking|url-status=live}}</ref> Blocking may also refer to denying access to a web server based on the [[IP address]] of the client machine.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://httpd.apache.org/docs/2.2/howto/access.html|title=Access Control – Apache HTTP Server|work=httpd.apache.org|year=2012|access-date=18 June 2012|archive-date=19 February 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220219222856/https://httpd.apache.org/docs/2.2/howto/access.html|url-status=live}}</ref> In certain websites, including [[social networking service|social networks]] such as [[Facebook]] or editable databases like [[wiki]]s, [[User (computing)|users]] can apply blocks (based in either IP number or account) on other users deemed undesirable to prevent them from performing certain actions. Blocks of this kind may occur for several reasons and produce different effects: in social networks, users can block other users without restriction, typically by preventing them from sending messages or viewing the blocker's information or profile. [[Sysop|Administrators]], [[Internet_forum#Moderators|moderator]]s or other privileged users users can apply blocks that affect the access of the undesirable users to the entire website. == Blocking by countries == Some countries, notably [[Internet censorship in the People's Republic of China| China]] and [[Internet censorship in Singapore|Singapore]], block access to certain news information.<ref name="Westfall"/> In the [[United States]], the [[Children's Internet Protection Act]] requires schools receiving federal funded discount rates for Internet access to install [[Content-control software|filter software]] that blocks obscene content, pornography, and, where applicable, content "harmful to minors".<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.fcc.gov/guides/childrens-internet-protection-act |title=Children's Internet Protection Act &#124; FCC.gov |work=fcc.gov |year=2012 |accessdate=17 June 2012 |archive-date=18 June 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120618152820/http://www.fcc.gov/guides/childrens-internet-protection-act |url-status=live }}</ref> == Blocking as denial of access to a website == Blocked or banned users may be completely unable to access all or part of a site's content, which is usually the case when censoring or filtering mechanisms are responsible for the block. Blocking is used by [[Internet forum#Moderators|moderators]] and administrators of social media and forums to deny access to users that have broken their rules and will likely do so again, in order to ensure a peaceful and orderly discussion in place. Common reasons for blocking are [[spamming]], [[trolling]], and [[Flaming (Internet)|flaming]], or, in the case of wiki sites like [[Wikipedia]], [[vandalism on wikis|vandalism]] and other types of disruptive editing. Some criticize cases of the use of bans by administrators of large websites, such as [[Twitter]],<ref>{{cite news|year=2016|title=Twitter bans conservative writer Milo Yiannopoulos for good, while cracking down on abuse|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/the-intersect/wp/2016/07/20/twitter-bans-milo-yiannopoulos-for-good-while-cracking-down-on-abuse/|access-date=15 February 2017|newspaper=The Washington Post|archive-date=1 December 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171201034128/https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/the-intersect/wp/2016/07/20/twitter-bans-milo-yiannopoulos-for-good-while-cracking-down-on-abuse/|url-status=live}}</ref> saying that these bans may be politically or financially motivated. However, websites have a legal right to decide who is allowed to post, and users often respond by [[Foot voting|"voting with their feet"]] and going to a place where the administrators see their behavior as acceptable. On Facebook, it is possible for users with privileges{{Who|is this Facebook staff?|date=August 2022}} to block users from doing things like posting or contacting other people.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.facebook.com/help/181183045316843/?helpref=related_articles|title=I received an error message saying I'm blocked from sending messages on Facebook.|publisher=Facebook Help Centre|accessdate=29 August 2022|archive-date=29 August 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220829182838/https://www.facebook.com/help/181183045316843/?helpref=related_articles|url-status=live}}</ref> On wiki sites like [[Wikipedia]] and [[Wikimedia Commons]], administrators (volunteers with special privileges on their accounts) can block other users from contributing to the entire site such as uploading images or editing, creating, or moving pages but this generally doesn't affect their ability to read pages on the site. Such blocks can normally only be placed with good reason such as the user vandalizing pages or uploading non-free copyrighted content after multiple warnings, and that reason is generally seen when they attempt to edit and this reason is generally made public.<ref>[[Commons:Commons:Blocking policy]]</ref> Administrators who block users inappropriately may have their adminship revoked.<ref>[[Wikipedia:Blocking policy]]</ref> It is possible on some wikis for users to limit interactions from them like sending them emails or sending them notifications; with such blocks, users are not notified of them.<ref>[[Wikipedia:Community health initiative on English Wikipedia/User Mute features]]</ref> Under a [[Shadow banning|shadow ban]], a user is given the false impression that their content is still being posted to the site, when in reality it is being hidden from all other users. === Evasion === {{redirect|Ban evasion|the Wikipedia policy on evading community bans and sanctions|Wikipedia:Ban evasion}} {{see also|Sock puppet account#Block evasion}} Ban evasion (or block evasion) is the act of attempting to get around a block, ban or other form of sanction imposed on the person's original account, whether temporary or permanent, on a website. Alternate accounts set up by people evading blocks or bans from websites are referred to as [[Sockpuppet (Internet)|sock puppets]]. Ban evasion can be detected by tracing a user's IP address. If two accounts are using the same IP address, it could be a sign of ban evasion. Also, the use of a [[VPN]], shown by rapid, drastic changes of IP address by the same user in a short period of time, can also be a sign that the user was trying to get around a ban. Ban evasion can also be spotted if posts or other contributions from two accounts look the same or similar, or on sites where the same email can be associated with multiple accounts, identical or similar emails can be a sign of ban evasion. On some sites, users who have been permanently banned for ban evasion may be unable to appeal their ban.{{cn|date=October 2021}} When creating sock puppets, ban evaders use a variety of tactics to disguise the fact that the new account was created by a previously banned user, such as choosing usernames with no relation to defunct accounts, an alternate email address, [[Virtual private network|VPNs]] or [[proxy server]]s to mask their IP address, changing their IP address (sometimes only needing to rely on a dynamic IP address to automatically change it after a time), or using the site from public Internet access locations such as schools and libraries, or resorting to usage of [[Open proxy|open proxies]]. Other possible measures include somewhat altering how they conduct themselves and exhibiting different behaviour in order to prevent moderators from determining that they are the same person.{{cn|date=October 2021}} == User blocking on social media == On [[social networking]] sites like [[Facebook]], users may be able to block users which prevents the user they have blocked from seeing things on their profile or contacting them.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.facebook.com/help/168009843260943|title=Block someone's profile on Facebook|publisher=Facebook Help Centre|accessdate=29 August 2022|archive-date=29 August 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220829182841/https://www.facebook.com/help/168009843260943|url-status=live}}</ref> Such blocking is often reciprocal, meaning the blocking user is also blocked from them as well.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.facebook.com/fbsafety/photos/a.197686146935898/2925087297529089/?type=3|title=Facebook Safety|publisher=Facebook Help Centre|accessdate=29 August 2022|archive-date=5 September 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220905161112/https://www.facebook.com/login/?next=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2Ffbsafety%2Fphotos%2Fa.197686146935898%2F2925087297529089%2F%3Ftype%3D3|url-status=live}}</ref> Users are usually not notified they have been blocked and such blocks may be private. On Facebook, users can't re-block a user they have unblocked for 48 hours after unblocking.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://millennialmagazine.com/2016/06/23/how-to-change-the-facebook-settings-that-you-didnt-know-existed/|title=Facebook Settings Hacks You Probably Didn't Know Exist|publisher=Millennial Magazine|accessdate=29 August 2022|archive-date=29 August 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220829182844/https://millennialmagazine.com/2016/06/23/how-to-change-the-facebook-settings-that-you-didnt-know-existed/|url-status=live}}</ref> == See also == * [[Ban (law)]] * [[Internet censorship]] * [[Access control]] * [[IP address blocking]] * [[Shadow banning]] == References == {{Reflist}} [[Category:Internet censorship]] [[Category:Access control]] [[Category:Punishments]]'