5 Countries Where Facebook Has Been Banned

Facebook may be the biggest social network in the world, but it does not mean that it is allowed everywhere. A number of countries have banned the website for political and cultural reasons. Some nations were concerned that the liberal approach that Facebook allows may cause unrest or expose citizens to improper information.

Here are five countries that at some point have banned (or even still ban) Facebook.

1. North Korea

In a report by Media Bistro, the country has been banning a variety of websites and social networks for decades. Being one of the most secretive nation's at present, North Korea's internet access has been very limited to prevent its citizens from getting information abroad. North Korea has banned Facebook to avoid interacting with the rest of the world and keep its citizens secluded.

2. China

In 2009, the country blocked Facebook after a political upheaval ensued. The Chinese government alleged that the political issues may have been triggered by information spread across the social media network. China primarily wanted to prevent riots and other forms of uprising caused by activists communicating through the social media network. According to Daily Mail, China did lift the ban in certain areas.

3. Iran

The country also blocked Facebook together with other social media sites in 2009 following a political uprising. Government officials speculated that information circulated on the social media network caused citizens to question several political matters and activities. Facebook was also banned to prevent opposition movements being initiated across the site as well as to stop its enemies from acquiring information.

4. Egypt

Due to military and political conflicts with the United States, Egypt banned Facebook to prevent any sharing of information between the two countries. Officials believe that banning social media networks will be beneficial to their nation-rebuilding projects. The Egyptian government also intended to prevent further uprising after the previous ousting of its dictator.

5. Syria

Facebook has been banned in the country since 2007 to prevent political activism. The Syrian government also aims to prevent infiltration of social networking sites in the country by its enemies like Israel. However, in 2011 the Syrian president lifted the ban to avoid unrest.

More countries around the globe banned Facebook for various reasons. In some cases, Facebook is allowed limitedly or may only be accessed by certain areas.