The act of restricting access to a service based on the Internet Protocol (IP) address from which a user is connecting is a common security and management practice. This involves identifying a particular IP address or range of addresses and preventing them from accessing specific online resources or functionalities. For instance, a forum administrator might block an IP address after repeated instances of spam posting originating from that source.
Implementing such restrictions can offer benefits to online platforms by mitigating malicious activities, such as spamming, abuse, or automated bot traffic. Historically, IP-based blocking has been used as a rudimentary defense mechanism against distributed denial-of-service (DDoS) attacks, as well as for enforcing geographic restrictions on content or services. While not foolproof, it provides a relatively simple initial barrier against unwanted access.