If Alice runs her own DNS server, where does she get the information "example.com resolves to 10.23.45.6"? At some point Alice will have to ask someone else --

If Alice runs her own DNS server, where does she get the information "example.com resolves to 10.23.45.6"? At some point Alice will have to ask someone else -- Bob, let us say -- and Bob won't give her that information if he's been court-ordered not to. I don't think traditional DNS can work if your adversary can get court orders [1]. You need some sort of decentralized solution that's hard to block even with court orders, e.g. Namecoin or ENS. [1] Is evading a court order a legitimate objective? Most people would say "no" but the Internet functions in all countries, including repressive ones. Even in the US, it's not entirely inconceivable the Trump administration could make an executive order to require DNS providers to block certain websites he doesn't like (perhaps using post-9/11 powers granted to the executive branch to fight terrorists, that never got revoked even though Osama bin Laden is dead and the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq are over). The US has strong protections on freedom of speech, but working through the courts takes time, and becomes difficult when someone says the magic words "national security".