With the technological advancement it has made it possible to connect with people all over the world. Even if you are living on one corner of the world and your near & dear ones on the other end, you can talk with them and even see them. But there are few countries which have banned one of the apps i.e Whatsapp. Read the guide to learn more.
Social media sites have helped us to connect with our family and friends. It has become quite difficult to imagine how life would have been without apps like Whatsapp, Youtube, Facebook, and Instagram. But, few countries have restricted the use of Whatsapp due to different reasons. Given below are the different countries which have banned the use of Whatsapp:
- North Korea
North Korea is one of the countries which is always in the limelight due to the dictator Kim Jong Un’s rules and military grandstanding. All over the world, censorship in North Korea is ranked on the top.
The citizens are not able to get any other information other than the government rules. Additionally, the use of the internet is also limited to certain needs only. This is the reason the use of social networks like Whatsapp and Facebook is very limited.
- China
The Chinese government has blocked the use of WhatsApp, especially during political campaigns. This is because of the feature of strong encryption. There are different political reasons for which the content is censored but along with that proper control is there.
But, it is seen that the ban on Whatsapp is done temporarily and it is usually taken away within a few months.
- Iran
According to journalists, Iran is described as the most repressive country in the last 40 years. This is true, Iran is very extensive about censorship. In the past, there have been different occasions on which Whatsapp has been banned. Some of the reasons, which they give include concern of security and censorship.
- Syria
The censorship is done in Syria on a very large scale. The number of websites has been banned due to political reasons. If someone is found accessing them, then the person is arrested right away. Not only Whatsapp is banned, but Facebook and Youtube are also blocked.
- UAE
Whatsapp allows the feature of video and voice calling which is banned in UAE with the help of local telecommunication service providers.
UAE has many residents from Pakistan, India, and Bangladesh who use Whatsapp to connect with their near & dear ones. This results in a loss of profits for the UAE telecommunication companies. So, this is the reason they have blocked Whatsapp for personal use.
- Cuba
Cuba has also banned the use of different chat platforms and internet access is restricted. Cuba is also known for applying extensive censorship to protest against the government all over the world. The ranking of Cuba in the Press Freedom Index is very low as compared to other countries.
In Cuba, only journalists, politicians, and selected students can access the internet legally along with social media networks like Whatsapp. Surprisingly, the reason for blocking the internet is not linked with political concern but the high cost of internet usage which is not afforded by the Cuban residents.
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