Authoritarian regimes increasingly seek to control the information environment by restricting access, disrupting connectivity, and isolating societies during moments of crisis. Experiences from contexts such as Iran or Russia show how blackouts, censorship, and intimidation are used to suppress mobilization and limit external engagement. At the same time, these cases reveal both the possibilities and limits of reaching societies under severe information constraints, and what practical lessons can be drawn for strategic communications in denied or degraded environments.