Which countries have restricted WhatsApp?
Russia has become the latest country to restrict some WhatsApp calls, accusing the Meta-owned platform of failing to share information in cases related to fraud and terrorism.
China fully blocked WhatsApp in 2017, using its Great Firewall to filter and block overseas traffic. Citizens there rely on the homegrown app WeChat. North Korea has kept the app generally inaccessible since 2016, as part of its tight control over the internet, which also includes bans on Facebook, YouTube, and Twitter, News.Az reports, citing Reuters.
Some countries have partial restrictions. Russia’s new measures target certain functions of the app, while the United Arab Emirates has prohibited most Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) services since 2017, allowing only text messaging. Exceptions were briefly made in 2020 for the Dubai Expo. Qatar, Egypt, and Jordan also restrict WhatsApp’s calling features, though messaging remains available.
Elsewhere, bans have been temporary or intermittent. Iran lifted its WhatsApp ban last year as part of easing wider internet controls. Türkiye has occasionally blocked the service in response to domestic events. Uganda banned WhatsApp in 2021 during a dispute with Facebook but later restored access. Cuba briefly restricted the app during protests in 2021.
In the United States, the House of Representatives prohibited WhatsApp on all government-issued devices in June.
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