What's blocked in Italy
Major apps work; DeepSeek was pulled from Italian app stores in 2025 and the Piracy Shield system blocks illegal sports streams within minutes.
- WhatsApp: Works
- Voice & video calls: Works
- Telegram: Works
- Signal: Works
- Discord: Works
- Facebook: Works
- Instagram: Works
- X (Twitter): Works
- TikTok: Works
- YouTube: Works
- Google: Works
- Works
- Age-gated
- Partly blocked
- Slowed down
- Blocked
App by app
| App | Status | Since | Notes | Fix |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| DeepSeek | Partly blocked | Jan 2025 | Removed from Italian app stores after a privacy order. | How to unblock |
Not offered in Italy
These companies don't sell their service here. That's a business or sanctions decision, not government censorship.
- Hulu
- BBC iPlayer
- JioHotstar
- Peacock
- BGMI (Battlegrounds Mobile India)
Working normally
Chat & calls
Social media
Video, TV & music
Games
Privacy & tools
The 3 VPNs that fit Italy
Our assessment, plus what visitors in Italy are reporting this week.
Picked for streaming and everyday privacy.
NordVPN
ConnectsNot enough votes yet. Tested it here? Tell others below.
Surfshark
ConnectsNot enough votes yet. Tested it here? Tell others below.
ExpressVPN
ConnectsNot enough votes yet. Tested it here? Tell others below.
Not sure about these three? See 3 more VPNs CyberGhost, Private Internet Access and Proton VPN
CyberGhost
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Private Internet Access
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Proton VPN
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We earn a commission if you buy a VPN through our links. It never changes what we report as blocked. How we pick and how we make money
What's going on
Italy's privacy regulator ordered DeepSeek to stop processing Italian users' data in January 2025, and it disappeared from local app stores. Italy also briefly banned ChatGPT in 2023. Its Piracy Shield platform blocks pirate football streams and IPTV services, sometimes catching legitimate sites too.
Before you connect: Use a VPN for privacy and travel; it does not make pirated streams legal.
Is a VPN legal in Italy?
Legal
VPNs are legal. Italian rules now ask VPN and DNS providers to help block pirated sports streams.
This is general information, not legal advice.
Questions people ask
Are any apps blocked in Italy?
None of the 71 apps we track is fully blocked in Italy right now. DeepSeek has some restrictions. Major apps work; DeepSeek was pulled from Italian app stores in 2025 and the Piracy Shield system blocks illegal sports streams within minutes.
Which streaming and online services are not available in Italy?
Hulu, BBC iPlayer, JioHotstar, Peacock and BGMI (Battlegrounds Mobile India) are not offered in Italy. That is the companies' decision, often because of licensing or sanctions.
Is it legal to use a VPN in Italy?
Legal. VPNs are legal. Italian rules now ask VPN and DNS providers to help block pirated sports streams.
Which VPN works in Italy?
Our picks for Italy are NordVPN, Surfshark and ExpressVPN. Check the live votes on this page for this week's results.
Report a block
Seeing something different in Italy? An editor reviews every report before the page changes.