Which countries have blocked WhatsApp?
Russia has become the latest country to block some WhatsApp calls, accusing the instant-messaging app of failing to share required information in cases involved in suspicious activities, such as terrorism and fraud.
China has entirely blocked the Meta-owned WhatsApp in 2017, utilising its Great Firewall to filter and restrict overseas traffic.
Chinese are currently using their own homegrown app WeChat.
Additionally, North Korea has been unavailable since 2016, as part of its complete control over the internet, including a ban on several social media platforms, including X (formerly Twitter), Facebook, and YouTube, according to Reuters.
However, some countries have imposed partial restrictions. Russia’s latest measures target specific functions of the app, while the United Arab Emirates (UAE) has restricted the most Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) services since 2017.
Several countries, including Qatar, Egypt, and Jordan have also limited the company’s calling features, though messaging remains available.
In other countries, there are several bans. Last year, Iran also banned the platform, aiming to ease broader internet controls.
Moreover, Turkey has occasionally banned WhatsApp in response to domestic events.
In the USA, the House of Representatives imposed a ban on WhatsApp on all government-issued devices in June.
