Throughout the world, people are forced to use internet that is — at best — heavily censored. Here are some of the worst offenders.
1. Burma
The government routinely blocks access to sites that voice opposition to the government. Those people daring enough to send emails in Burma can count on having them filtered through a government checker before they find their source.
2. North Korea
Only about four percent of the population have access to the internet, and every web site is government owned. It’s probably easier to make up the propaganda when the people can’t get access to the facts.
3. China
The Chinese government is working overtime to undermine the authority of those people who express discontent with the country. Real-name registration is a requirement for all internet users, IP addresses of offenders are blocked, and new laws are working to compel companies to decrypt information at a moment’s notice.
4. Iran
To its credit, Iran is slowly working to undo years of internet oppression. Internet speeds have risen and more people have begun to make use of mobile internet. That said, in the last two years several noted activists have been arrested as a result of anti-government Facebook posts, so…it still has a lot of ground to make up.
5. Syria
Anyone having the gumption to say something critical is routinely silenced by the harshest means possible. Of course, all things in perspective, “censored internet” is the least of Syria’s issues right now.
6. Ethiopia
The Ethiopian government blocks access to apps that might share their mistakes with the world. The government has also cracked down on people who would teach others how to make their computers more secure, say, from government snooping.
7. Cuba
The internet is relegated to certain access points. Writing or searching for anything that’s critical of the government is a big no-no, and users may also be subject to having their search history searched at a moment’s notice.
8. Uzbekistan
The VoIPs such as Skype have been completely banned in the country since July of 2015. What’s more, last year, the government passed strict new laws that allowed them to give serious jail time to people who would threaten public stability over social media.
9. Vietnam
Citizens have access to Facebook and Instagram, however, when social protests begin to percolate, the government has no qualms with blocking access. Several bloggers have been sentenced to jail for anti-government sentiment.
10. Saudi Arabia
Authorities still exercise a lot of control over the nation. When protestors get too rowdy, for example, the government has been known to throttle down internet access to prevent organization.
