The World Wide Web allows access to information across the globe, be it news, education or entertainment. However, there are nations that severely restrict the Internet. Sanctions can be social, such as against pornography, or political, such as censoring free speech online. An occasional example is Russia blocking Facebook and major foreign news outlets reporting the invasion of Ukraine. The World Day Against Cyber Censorship, held on 12 March, highlights such government censorship and creates awareness about the need for internet freedom. Below, we look at the top five countries that practice strict Internet censorship.
North Korea
The global Internet is restricted in North Korea, except for a few high-level officials and foreigners. A national intranet service named Kwangmyong instead operates there and is accessible to a small percentage of citizens. It has websites dedicated to scientific and government-related material, but its scale is limited to North Korea.
China
There is widespread Internet censorship in China to prevent informational access or criticism against the ruling party government in the country. Google, Wikipedia, Facebook, Twitter and YouTube are not available in China. Even VPN services are banned. Like citizens and journalists, those criticizing the ruling regime and its policies are often imprisoned.
Iran
Iran is another country that has strict internet censorship. The government blocks content critical of its governance, content on religion, politics, and women’s rights. Iran also blocks social media sites such as Facebook, Twitter, Telegram, Blogger, Snapchat and YouTube. It also blocked streaming sites such as Netflix, as well as sites with news, sports, science and health topics, international shopping, and pornography.
Syria
In its efforts to suppress political opposition, the Syrian government has severely restricted Internet freedom in the country. Citizens are allowed access to only a limited amount of data per month and their online activities are monitored. Journalists who criticize the regime are regularly arrested and tortured.
Belarus
Belarus, like all authoritarian governments, censors the Internet, whose primary purpose is to stifle anti-government protests and pro-democracy movements. Many independent news sites have been banned. Buying from commercial websites outside the country is also prohibited.
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