New media regulations in Georgia have led to the issuance of fines to broadcasters. This could soon be rolled out to the digital realm and involve website blocking.

Media freedoms in Tbilisi are shifting somewhat. Once a fairly liberal sphere, recent changes have seen fines levied for biased language, and specific phrases on broadcast television have been banned. While regulatory battlegrounds have typically been on television, there is a possibility this could now shift to the online sphere. This could have a huge impact regarding what can and can not be said online.

Website blocking can occur in several different ways. Generally, it is done as a tool to promote positive working environments. Many people choose to use a website blocker to increase productivity. By restricting sites and apps during working time, it prevents workers from scrolling the web and going off track. This is a perfect tool for those who work remotely.

They can also be used to prevent people from accessing harmful content. Minors could be blocked from sites that contain adult content. People who are at risk of problem gambling can use them to exclude themselves from online betting facilities.

Yet they can be used by governments, who want to block certain sources of information. Internet service providers in Georgia may be asked to use them, possibly through DNS tampering and IP address blocking. In this way, websites can be targeted in minutes, and newsrooms can be cut off from their audience overnight.

The Georgian National Communications Commission (GNCC), colloquially referred to as ComCom, has recently fined several high-profile companies. One of these was Formula TV, which was made to pay ₾10,000 (USD 3,900) over claims of impartiality, citing that broadcaster footage included personal views. TV Pirveli has also been issued with formal reports.

Certain words and phrases have been banned from use in broadcasts, with the independent body Transparency International (TI) Georgia noting that there are 101 words and phrases which are forbidden. These are easily translated to the digital realm, and it could see web servers, text archives, and content providers fined for their use of them. Currently, the penalties for this are financial. Yet it could go one step further for digital companies, running to domain seizures and ISP-level URL blocking.

The blocking of websites is not necessarily a bad thing. It can shield a country from harmful influences, particularly those of foreign actors or threats. It does this through multiple methods, and one of the most common is DNS filtering. This is where a particular website name is blocked. When a device tries to look up the website’s numerical internet address, a not-found message is returned, or the request is redirected. Another is URL filtering. This inspects a specific path or requested page. This can be more nuanced, as it can allow specific pages on a domain but not others.

One other is IP blocking. Each device has an IP address, which stands for Internet Protocol. It is a digital mailing address, so information can reach the right place or request. A server can block a numerical IP address, so that any data transfer from that server, either to or from, becomes impossible.

Much of this can be done by people on their own device, allowing for parental controls. The best control to block websites will attach neatly to a browser. They can then block pages and websites by category, keywords, and other criteria. For those looking to use them to boost productivity, they can also block messages from messaging and work apps like Slack.

If Georgia does decide to follow this route, it will not be the only country in the region to have chosen to censor the internet. In July 2026, Azerbaijan decided to adopt major amendments to the laws on Information, Informatization and Information Protection. Particularly, this focused on being able to block internet resources with judicial authorisations.

Before this, website blocking was restricted to emergencies. These were defined as situations in which state or public interests were under threat. Now, a range of broad criteria define what can be blocked. These include films or games lacking age-rating disclosure to defamation or insult of individuals. Yet it also contains many very sensible suggestions, such as adult content and information that could endanger mental health.

According to data by the World Bank group, 84% of Georgia’s population now has access to the internet. This figure has risen sharply over the last ten years. Its internet penetration rate is 83.80%, up 2.3% from 2023. The government will now have to manage this carefully, treading a line between using internet blocking to protect its citizens and making sure not to infringe on their freedoms.

Written by Sophie Bennett, a geopolitics writer who explores finance, communications, and more. Her background in international studies has shaped a particular interest in how technology, social expectations, and geopolitical boundaries influence the modern world. She approaches sensitive subjects with warmth, curiosity, and an unbiased perspective.

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