Turkey has reportedly blocked Google DNS inside its borders, eliminating a backdoor that briefly helped Turks stay connected to Twitter after the country banned access. Earlier this week, Turkey's prime minister promised to "eradicate" the popular service with the help of a court order. "I don't care what the international community says," Recep Tayyip Erdoğan said at a campaign rally. "Everyone will witness the power of the Turkish Republic." Twitter says it's looking into claims that the company failed to remove content deemed inflammatory by local courts, but has encouraged users to continue posting tweets via SMS in the meantime.

Typing in Google's Domain Name System addresses (8.8.8.8 and 8.8.4.4) into a computer's network settings offered a reliable way to circumvent the ban and helped ensure Turks could keep using the service. Some had even taken to spray-painting those addresses in visible outdoor locations, according to reports. Since Turkey has now shut down that pathway, according to the Hürriyet Daily News, Turkish internet users are continuing to share other DNS alternatives to maintain their link to Twitter.

Though Turkey's ban doesn't affect other social networking sites like Facebook, the country's government is still taking fierce criticism for the move. The White House issued an official statement yesterday, saying the US would "support the people of Turkey in their calls to restore full access to the blocked technologies." The State Department put out a separate statement, imploring Turkey to "unblock its citizens’ access to Twitter and ensure free access to all social media platforms." We've reached out to Google for a statement on the status of Google DNS in Turkey.