Calling YouTube just an application would be wrong. It has become a part of life. Stuck in your studies? Refer to YouTube. Want to cook something delicious? Refer to YouTube. Can you imagine your life without this platform? Obviously No!!! Well, you will be surprised to know that YouTube is banned in many parts of the world and here we are with the list of the countries that have banned YouTube.
YouTube is undoubtedly one of the best video content providers in the whole world. But, this video streaming platform is not available for all people on this planet. Yes, we know that you have a lot of questions like countries that have banned Youtube? Is China among them? Or, is it possible to access the application in these areas with some tricks? Trust us, you will get the answers to all your doubts in this post.
Many have banned the YouTube application in the past and many have still restricted its citizens from the use. After a lot of research on the topic, we present to you the list of the countries that have attempted to ban YouTube and the countries that have banned it along with the reasons.
Is YouTube Banned In China?
Yes, YouTube is banned in China. We know that it is quite shocking to know that one of the most technologically advanced countries in the world has banned the YouTube application for its users.
The country banned the YouTube application for its citizens in October 2007 for five months and became one of the first countries that have banned YouTube applications. Well, world experts say that the reasons are political. The Chinese government regulates what its citizens will see on the internet.
Well, coming back to the ban as we told you that it was lifted after five months. But, the government again banned the YouTube application in March 2009 and it has been banned since then.
When asked the Chinese Government about the ban, they came up with the explanation that the platform does not meet the censorship requirements of the country. There has also been a talk that the YouTube application was not compatible with the Chinese operating systems.
Many experts are of the ideology that the Chinese government banned the YouTube application to give a boost to its economy.
Confused??
Well, if you are interested in economics then here is the explanation for you. The Chinese government does not allow YouTube to grow in its country and earn profit. Instead, it launched its own application, “Youko”, that works similar to YouTube.
Also Read, Countries That Have Banned TikTok & 6 Reasons For Its Ban
Does This Mean That You Cannot Access YouTube In China At all?
The answer is “NO”. There are various places in China where you can access the YouTube Application. These places are Hong Kong, the Shanghai Free Trade Zone, Macau, and a few specific hotels in the country.
How To Access YouTube In China?
To Access YouTube in China, all you have to do is change your Geolocation. Well, we aren’t saying move out of the country to access the application.
Have you heard about the VPN?
Yeah, the virtual proxy network. It will give you false geolocation and you will be able to access the application even in the countries that have banned YouTube.
Fret not, we will be explaining the steps involved one by one.
- Firstly, download the VPN from the play store or the app store.
- If you are planning to access the application on your Windows or Mac then, you can download the VPN from the official website of the VPN application.
- Open the application and sign in. the application might ask you to enter the activation code.
- Next, select the location outside China. The preferred network would be Hong Kong or Taiwan.
- Then hit the connect button, the connection is established.
- Now, open the YouTube application and it will start working.
Is YouTube Blocked In Hong Kong, Taiwan, And Macau?
YouTube is not blocked in Hong Kong, Taiwan, and Macau because these places have open access to the web. So, you can access anything on the web without the use of a VPN.
List Of Countries That Have Banned YouTube
Several countries have banned YouTube applications for their citizens. Many of these have given the reasons for the censorship criterion while others have just banned the platform without any explanation. Well, given below is the list of all these countries.
1. China
As we mentioned above, China was one of the first countries to ban the YouTube Application for its citizens. Well, the country has launched the YouTube alternative for its citizens and the name of the application is “Youko”.
2. Eritrea
Eritrea is a country present in eastern Africa. The Country intermittently blocked the YouTube application for its citizens in 2011. Upon being asked for the reason, it was told in the Freedom House that the ban was made due to bandwidth considerations.
3. North Korea
North Korea is known for its dictatorship rule in the world. Well, if you are a resident of the country then you asking for Human rights means the death penalty. The country is totally cut off from the outside world.
No information about the country can come out as Internet usage is banned for its people. Yes, you heard that right, people of North Korea do not have access to the Internet connection. Only a few high officials can access the Internet with permission from the high command.
According to the global news, the Country banned the YouTube application along with Twitter, Facebook, and South Korean Websites in June 2016.
Also Read, 10 Most Viewed YouTube Videos Ever | Record-Breaking Visuals
4. Iran
Iran has a history of blocking and Unblocking the YouTube application over a period of time. So, we mentioned it in the list of the countries that have banned YouTube. Iran banned YouTube and Google Applications in the year 2012 because of the movie trailer released on the platform. The trailer hurt the sentiments and the belief of the Iranian people.
Before 2012, Iran had put a ban on the application in the years 2006 and 2009 as well. According to reports, the country lifted the ban in the year 2016.
5. Turkmenistan
Turkmenistan has only one Internet Service Provider that is Turkmentelecom. The government controls the Internet Provider and in order to maintain the law and order in the country. YouTube along with certain other websites was banned in Turkmenistan.
6. South Sudan
Well, Sudan is among the countries that have banned YouTube due to religious aspects such as Iran. It was about the movie “Innocence of Muslims”, which was an anti-Islamic film. The Sudan Government requested the YouTube platform to ban the movie but upon receiving no response the government banned the application.
7. Tajikistan
Tajikistan is among the countries that have banned YouTube again and again before the final ban. The website was blocked in the country for the first time in 2012 for showing the protest against the militant clashes. The ban was lifted after eight-day.
The YouTube application was again banned in the same year and this time because of the video that showed president Emomali Rakhmon as offensive to the government.
At last, YouTube was banned in the year 2013, and this was for the video that showed President Rakhmon singing and dancing out of tune at his son’s wedding that happened in 2007.
8. Syria
The government of Syria shut the internet access in the year 2011 due to the Syrian Civil War.
List Of Countries That Have Banned YouTube In 2021
- China
- Eritrea
- Iran
- North Korea
- South Sudan
- Syria
- Tajikistan
- Turkmenistan
List Of Countries That Have Banned YouTube In Past
There are various countries in the world that have banned the YouTube application before. But, there will be a ban after some time. The list of these countries is given below.
- Afghanistan
- Armenia
- Bangladesh
- Brazil
- Denmark
- Finland
- Germany
- Indonesia
- Libya
- Malaysia
- Morocco
- Pakistan
- Russia
- Sudan
- Thailand
- Tunisia
- Turkey
- United Arab Emirates
- Uzbekistan
- Venezuela
Also Read, How To Watch Ad-Free YouTube Video | Six Simple Working Tricks
Wrapping Up:
Well, whatever reasons these countries that have banned YouTube give for blocking the website from people’s reach. The fact is that the human rights of the people in these countries have been harassed. Well, almost many countries out of these have launched YouTube alternatives in their receptive countries. But banning has made the people of the country distant from the outer world.
What are your views on the topic? Do let us know in the comments section below. We will be happy to hear from you.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q. Why Is YouTube Blocked In Some Countries?
When asked the Chinese Government about the ban, they came up with the explanation that the platform does not meet the censorship requirements of the country. There has also been a talk that the YouTube application was not compatible with the Chinese operating systems.
Many experts are of the ideology that the Chinese government banned the YouTube application to give a boost to its economy.
Q. In Which Countries Is Google Banned?
Google is banned in Crimea, Cuba, Iran, North Korea, and Syria.
Q. What Sites Are Banned In China?
Here is the list of the banned sites in China.
- Gmail.
- Dropbox.
- Google Apps
- Microsoft OneDrive.
- Slack.
- Google Play
- Hootsuite.
