In September Nepal banned 26 social media platforms, including Facebook, YouTube, Instagram, Twitter (now X), WhatsApp and LinkedIn. The ban launched nationwide protests and riots, which forced the government to reverse it within a week.
Meanwhile, France has not saved a nationwide ban, but is chasing strict checks for the minors. President Emmanuel Macron and legislators proposed to ban social media for children under 15 years.
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Here are countries that have banned social media, selectively or otherwise.
China
In mainland China, social media is blocked under the “Great Gate of Firewall”. Platforms such as Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp, Twitter (X), YouTube and Snapchat cannot be used without VPN.
Instead, people use monitored applications like WeChat, Weibo, Douyin and QQ. However, Hong Kong and Macau remain an exception.
North Korea
In North Korea, people cannot access platforms such as Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp, YouTube or Twitter (X). Only government elites, scientists and some foreigners use a firmly monitored Internet.
Ordinary citizens are limited to the state intranet called Kwangmyong. The approach or spread of foreign media is a crime.
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Russia
In 2022, Russia banned Facebook, Twitter (X) and other major platforms. The government promotes strict censors and supervision. It regularly blocks pages considered hostile.
Iran
Iran has long banned Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and other platforms. The government censor online activity to block politically sensitive content and promote domestic applications.
Despite strict monitoring and restrictions, many Iranians use VPN and tools to circumvent controls and blocked places.
Turkmenistan
Turkmenistan blocks almost all foreign social media. People can’t use Facebook, Twitter, YouTube or Instagram. Internet access is firmly inspected and only allowed by state -approved places. Independent online communication is almost impossible.
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Myanmar
After a military coup in February 2021, Myanmar Facebook, YouTube and other social media banned. Junta blocked the platforms to silence dissent and control messages.
Internet shutdowns are common. However, some citizens use VPN to limit circumvent and sharing information.
Another country
India has banned tiktok and many Chinese applications for security reasons. Turkey often blocks Twitter, Facebook and YouTube during riots. Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Syria, Vietnam and SAE store various limitations.
Ethiopia closes social media during riots or ethnic clashes. Bangladesh sometimes blocks platforms that reduce misinformation. Pakistan imposes selective prohibitions during political events. Contributions that are considered “blasphemy” are also prohibited.
(Tagstotranslate) Nepalese prohibition of social media
