Twitter users in Venezuela are reporting that images are being blocked across the service, in what appears be the government’s latest crackdown on media coverage of ongoing protests in the country, Buzzfeed reports.
Authorities forced a Colombian news station off the air on account of its coverage of violence around anti-government protests, and any move to control Twitter would seemingly be another tactic to stifle word of events spreading across the country. (Images posted from Venezuela are visible outside of the country.)
Screenshots from Twitter users in the country appear to show that images — including profile photos — are failing to load for many. That could be down to a restriction on telecom companies and their data services, although there remains the possibility that other factors are at play.
@Support @twitter There is problems in your platform, it doesn’t show images #Venezuela #13F pic.twitter.com/ESNEPIUQtr
— José A. De Andrade (@thehead85) February 14, 2014
The Venezuelan government previously asked Twitter to block tweets detailing black market exchange rates, although it has not commented on the latest censorship reports.
We’ve reached out to Twitter for comment.
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Related: Venezuela’s Chavez is literally running his country on Twitter, from Cuba
Headline image via DAMIEN MEYER/AFP/Getty Images
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