STOCKHOLM (Reuters) -Russia on Wednesday grew to become the newest nation to limit some WhatsApp calls, accusing the Meta-owned platform of failing to share info in fraud and terrorism instances.
Here’s a record of countries limiting WhatsApp:
FULLY BLOCKED
China began blocking WhatsApp in 2017, utilizing its so-called Nice Firewall to filter and block visitors with abroad servers. Chinese language customers depend on another known as WeChat.
WhatsApp is usually inaccessible in North Korea which has blocked Fb, YouTube, Twitter and different platforms since 2016. North Korea has one of many world’s most strictly managed web programs.
PARTIAL BLOCK
Russia began limiting WhatsApp from Wednesday. It had clashed with overseas tech platforms for a number of years over content material and knowledge storage.
United Arab Emirates (UAE) has banned most functions utilizing Voice over Web Protocol (VoIP) companies – free internet-to-internet voice and video calls – beginning in 2017. Nonetheless textual content messaging is allowed. In 2020, authorities allowed individuals to make calls over WhatsApp and different web apps on the grounds of the Expo Dubai world honest.
Qatar has not explicitly banned WhatsApp however has put restrictions on VoIP calls. Like UAE, WhatsApp messaging nonetheless works.
Egypt doesn’t have a blanket ban on calls over WhatsApp however has tried to throttle such communications.
Jordan additionally has restrictions on making VoIP calls.
INTERMITTENT BANS
Iran final yr lifted a ban on WhatsApp as a primary step to scaling again web restrictions following years of curbing entry.
Turkey presently has no ban on WhatsApp, however it has up to now blocked the platform over home points.
Uganda banned WhatsApp and different social media platforms in 2021 as a retaliation for Fb blocking some pro-government accounts. It presently doesn’t have a ban.
Cuba quickly restricted entry to social media and messaging platforms together with Fb and WhatsApp in 2021.
WhatsApp has been banned from all U.S. Home of Representatives gadgets in June, in accordance with a memo despatched to all Home employees.
(Reporting by Supantha Mukherjee in Stockholm; Enhancing by Andrew Cawthorne)