Social media bans

Social media has become more than just a part of our daily life. It’s also a great tool for disseminating information, rallying allies, and organizing actions. Some governments around the world have taken to restricting social media to keep their people in the dark and to make it harder for them to express their discontent. Unlike the main project page, here we only publish data on social media restrictions.

Where has social media been restricted?

China

Facebook has been disrupted since 2009 July.

China

Twitter has been disrupted since 2009 July.

China

Youtube has been disrupted since 2009 July.

China

Instagram has been disrupted since 2016 September.

China

Telegram has been disrupted since 2016 July.

China

Whatsapp has been disrupted since 2017 September.

62 out of 196 analyzed countries and territories have disrupted social media or voice over IP apps, affecting more than 70% of the global population.

Most of the long-term social media or VoIP censorship cases have been registered in Asia. 72% of countries currently restricting services are located in Asia.

How many people have been affected?

The words “social media restriction” don’t translate well the scope of their effects. That’s why it’s important to know how many people are affected by it. This chart shows just how many users have suffered or still suffer social media restrictions.

Facebook is the most censored social media platform. 46% of the global population has been affected by government-imposed Facebook disruptions.

Whatsapp is the most censored voice over IP (VoIP) app. 45% of the global population has been affected by government-imposed Whatsapp disruptions.

Why was social media restricted?

This bar chart ranks the reasons for social media restriction by frequency, showing you why governments undertake these drastic measures to limit online freedom.

Facebook is the most feared platform by the government in the case of protests. Out of 40 registered cases related to protests, Facebook was disrupted 32 times.

Telegram and Whatsapp are often permanently restricted due to internet laws that make VoIP services illegal.

When was social media restricted?

This chart shows the instances of the restrictions of social media in six-month increments.

Over the last 5 years, at least 46 governments have imposed social media censorship over their citizens. On average, 13 countries each year.

4 countries have already done that in 2023 so far, which is more than the 5-year average.