Mr Loi said such bloggers helped a great deal in stopping negative rumours and had blocked online calls for mass gatherings in the city.

BBC: Vietnam admits deploying bloggers to support government

The technique is used by telecom operators to get an overview of the number of blocked or dropped calls, and other traffic issues.

BBC: WCIT conference

The regulator has also threatened network providers with fines if they are responsible for other causes of blocked or dropped calls, or loss of coverage.

BBC: Uganda delays fake mobile switch-off date until 2013

James Tobin--the New England chairman for President Bush's 2004 campaign and the Northeast field representative for the National Republican Senatorial Committee in 2002's congressional elections--was sentenced to ten months' jail time and two years' probation for supposedly being part of a conspiracy that for about two hours on Election Day 2002 blocked some incoming calls to Democratic phone banks arranging transportation for voters.

FORBES: Do Bad Economic Ideas Ever Die?

The animal bunch spammed the BoNY website with e-mails and blocked the main phone number with calls.

FORBES: Fearful financiers

Te'o said he never met Kekua face-to-face and when he tried to speak with her via Skype and video phone calls, the picture was blocked.

WSJ: Te'o Says He Was Duped

The mayor's preliminary budget proposal for the fiscal year beginning July 1 calls again for the FDNY to shutter 20 fire companies, a proposal that council members have blocked in the past.

WSJ: FDNY Exam Now Looking Costly to City