Internet censorship around the world: which countries block which apps
Internet censorship is not the same everywhere. Some countries block every major app, others block one or two, and others do not block apps at all but add age gates to social media. Best 3 VPN tracks app, game and streaming blocks in 130 countries, with 312 active restrictions across 71 apps. This post maps the censorship, country by country.
The Most Restricted Countries
Five countries restrict 10 or 11 of the 11 major apps we check. Turkmenistan restricts 11 of 11 and is the most restricted country on the site, with 64 apps hit in total. North Korea also restricts 11 of 11, with 56 apps hit. China restricts 11 of 11, with 36 apps hit. Russia restricts 10 of 11, with 22 apps hit, and Iran restricts 10 of 11, with 19 apps hit. Myanmar restricts 8 of 11, with 10 apps hit.
In these countries a VPN is not a nice extra. It is the only way to keep using the apps at all, and not every VPN gets through. Our Best VPN ranking shows which of the six VPNs we follow still connect in each one.
Which Apps Get Blocked Most
TikTok is restricted in 20 countries, more than any other app we track. Facebook and Instagram are restricted in 13 countries each. WhatsApp and X are restricted in 10 countries each, and YouTube in 10 countries too. Telegram and Discord are restricted in 9 countries each, and Signal in 8.
Streaming has a different pattern. Hulu and BBC iPlayer are not offered in 129 countries, Disney+ is not offered in 60, and HBO Max is not offered in 80. Those services are not blocked by a government. They simply do not sell their service there, so the only way to watch them is from a country where they are offered. We explain that in our streaming guide.
Why Countries Block Apps
Countries block apps for different reasons. Some want to control news and political discussion, so they block social networks and messaging apps. Some want to protect local companies or tax rules. Some block apps during elections or protests. The full reason differs by country and changes over time, so the only reliable answer is live data for that country, not a general rule.
That is why we track each country and app separately, instead of publishing one list and leaving it. To see the current position, check the country page for where you are or the app page for the service you need.
Partial Blocks And Age Gates
A block is not always total. In the United Arab Emirates, WhatsApp is partly blocked: messages work, but voice and video calls are blocked, and Signal is partly blocked too. In Russia, Telegram is slowed down and TikTok is partly blocked. In Iran, WhatsApp is slowed down. In Australia, Facebook, Instagram, X, TikTok and YouTube are age gated, with users asked for age checks.
This matters for choosing a VPN. A slowed app needs a fast server, and a partly blocked app may only need the VPN on for calls. If an app works for you and only calls fail, the fix is often different from a full block.
How To Check Any Country
The fastest way is our homepage checker. Pick your country and the app you want, and it names the three VPNs that fit that place. If you want detail, open the country page for the full list of what is blocked there, or the app page to see every country where that app is restricted.
Knowing what is blocked is only the first half of the job. The second half is the fix, so the post to read next is the unblocking guide, which works through the method app by app. If the idea of a VPN is still new to you, the complete VPN guide explains it from the beginning. For how we gather this data, see how we track blocks.