This application provides a method for controlling a connection between a terminal and a network, and an apparatus. The method includes: receiving, by a terminal, a packet filter; and discarding, by the terminal, an uplink data packet matching the packet filter. Based on this solution, a connection can be blocked near a source (that is, the connection is blocked from the terminal), to reduce traffic exchanged between the terminal and a user plane network element. Compared with an existing technical solution, the terminal implements traffic control to reduce a quantity of uplink data packets sent to the user plane network element, thereby reducing load of the user plane network element.