No. DNS over HTTPS (DOH) only encrypts the domain lookup. It may defeat simple DNS-level blocks, but it does not stop other lawful measures. Where a court or regulator orders access restrictions, ISPs can still block connections in several ways, and authorities can also apply non-network “business disruption” tools such as payment, advertising, search or app-store restrictions. The specific legal route varies by country. For example, the UK’s Online Safety Act provides one such mechanism, but similar powers exist in other jurisdictions.
How ISPs can still block access even if users enable DoH
- IP or IP-range blocking at the routing layer so connections never complete
- Filtering based on the TLS Server Name Indication (SNI) where visible
- Blocking or throttling known public DoH/DoT resolvers to force use of compliant resolvers
- Working with hosting providers, CDNs or domain registries to suspend or remove offending endpoints
Newer protocols can reduce what the network can see, but they do not make lawful enforcement impossible. In practice, regulators combine ISP blocking with business disruption measures so enforcement does not rely on DNS alone.