WhatsApp Ban: WhatsApp is banned in 6 major countries of the world. These include China, Iran, United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Syria and North Korea. There are different reasons behind WhatsApp being banned in these countries.
WhatsApp Ban Countries: Every day around 3 billion people use WhatsApp all over the world. In India alone, 53 crore people use it for personal and professional work. The popularity of WhatsApp is not hidden from anyone. Despite this, you will be surprised to know that the governments of 6 big countries of the world have banned WhatsApp in their countries. This includes a neighboring country of India as well.
We are talking about China here. Apart from this, Iran, United Arab Emirates (UAE), Qatar, Syria and North Korea are also included. These countries have banned the use of WhatsApp in their countries. The reason behind this is different in every country. So let us know why these countries have banned WhatsApp.
What is the reason behind WhatsApp being banned in these countries?
North Korea: North Korea is known for its bad and violent policies in the world. Kim takes all the decisions there. Due to this, there are the strictest internet policies in the world. In North Korea, the general public has been given very limited access to the global internet. Here the government has maintained control over communication. Due to this, apps like WhatsApp have been banned so that the free flow of information can be stopped.
China: The situation of India’s neighboring country China is somewhat similar to North Korea. Here too, the government has complete control over the Internet. The Great Firewall under the Chinese government prevents its citizens from accessing many foreign apps and websites related to the outside world. The Chinese government works on a comprehensive strategy to promote indigenous alternatives like WeChat instead of foreign apps. Banning WhatsApp and controlling communication is a part of this.
Syria: WhatsApp is banned in Syria as well. Syria has been battling a civil war for a long time. On top of that, there are many restrictions imposed on Syria. Due to which WhatsApp is banned in Syria. The government here also does not want the things happening inside the country to reach outside. At the same time, the WhatsApp ban is also a part of the comprehensive internet censorship policy.
Iran: Iran is currently facing the most sanctions in the world. There is a dispute between Iran and America regarding the nuclear bomb. Due to which WhatsApp has had to face sanctions from time to time in Iran. Apart from this, the government there has also banned WhatsApp to control communication and access to information in view of political unrest.
Qatar: The Qatari government has blocked WhatsApp’s voice and video calling features for its citizens. But text messaging is still available. The Qatari government has imposed the ban on calls to support its telecom companies.
United Arab Emirates (UAE): A lot of development work is going on in UAE in recent times. Despite this, the government there has blocked WhatsApp’s voice and video calling facilities like the government of Qatar. There is no ban on text messaging facility in UAE.
