From China’s ‘Great Firewall’ to Iran’s limited internet access, discover how social media is accessed around the world
By
Around 69 per cent of the world’s population are active social media users. Each day, the average user spends around a staggering two hours and 21 minutes browsing through various platforms like TikTok, Instagram and Facebook.
For many people, these platforms have become central to how they communicate and connect with the world around them.
Enjoying this article? Check out our related reads…
However, access to social media is not the same everywhere. While billions of people can freely browse online, others face restrictions due to government controls, internet shutdowns or national laws. In some countries, global social networks are blocked entirely, while in others, access is limited by age restrictions, censorship or temporary bans.
China
China’s internet control system is widely known as the Great Firewall – a national system of technologies and regulations used to monitor and block online content for those inside the country.
Its main goal is to separate Chinese cyberspace from the global internet, preventing access to information that authorities consider politically sensitive or destabilising.
Such a system emerged in the late 1990s, when internet use expanded rapidly in China, a development that concerned government officials about the potential spread of political dissent and foreign influence.
Many major Western social media platforms are completely blocked in mainland China, such as Facebook, Instagram, X, YouTube and WhatsApp. Simultaneously, many international news outlets, such as the BBC, The New York Times, and The Guardian, are also blocked.
Instead of global platforms, China has developed its own large social media ecosystem, with platforms such as WeChat (comparable to Facebook and WhatsApp), Weibo (comparable to X) and Douyin (comparable to TikTok).
In recent years, China has expanded its internet governance tools, with proposals including government-run digital ID systems for internet users that could lead to increased online monitoring across platforms.
North Korea
For many, North Korea is described as the most restricted internet ecosystem in the world. North Korean authorities use laws aimed at restricting residents’ access to outside information, frequently inspect mobile phones and punish people for South Korean-style language and media consumption.
Ordinary citizens cannot access the global internet, with most people only able to access the widely-reported state-controlled intranet called Kwangmyong. This only permits access to government-approved websites and email systems.
Both phone calls and internet activity are monitored by ‘Bureau 27’ in North Korea’s State Security Department, which uses sophisticated equipment to detect mobile phone frequencies.
Iran
During political unrest, Iran has been known to shut down or severely limit internet access. For example, during the 2019 protests, internet traffic plummeted after a government-ordered shutdown. More recently, in the current conflict between Israel, Iran and the US, Iran implemented a nationwide internet shutdown on February 28. On March 6, it is estimated only around one per cent of normal internet traffic remains accessible across the country.
According to some experts, the risks this creates can be ‘fatal’ as civilians are unable to access real-time information about upcoming attacks. This is especially troublesome considering Iran also lacks a functioning air-raid warning system, and public shelters are absent.
In Iran, many international social media platforms are blocked or restricted. Examples include Facebook, X, YouTube, and at times, Telegram. These blocks are enforced through national filtering systems controlled by the government.
The nation has also been developing a National Information Network (NIN) – a domestic internet infrastructure designed to reduce reliance on the global web. The NIN allows authorities to monitor users more closely and control online content, aiming to push users toward domestic services instead of international platforms.
Despite restrictions, many Iranians still use social media by bypassing government filters using VPNs and proxy services.
Türkiye
According to Freedom House, Türkiye’s internet freedom has declined due to government censorship, surveillance and legal pressures on platforms.
According to a 2020 report, it is estimated that more than 400,000 websites are currently blocked in Türkiye. The nation is also the world leader in requesting content removals on X and Reddit. If companies do not comply with these requests, entire platforms – including X, YouTube and even Wikipedia – face being blocked entirely for months or even years.
As well as this, online users, journalists and activists have faced investigations or arrests for social media posts.
The nation has also strengthened its social media law to include obligations for sites that receive more than one million daily users in Türkiye, such as designating a local representative. Local presence for social media companies means strictly abiding by local laws and complying with all content takedown requests from the Turkish authorities.
Such a move received significant criticism from human rights organisations and experts. Despite this criticism, social media companies announced plans to continue designating local representatives in the country.
Russia
Internet freedom in Russia, according to Freedom House, has continued to plummet as the government seeks to eliminate criticism of the full-scale military invasion of Ukraine.
Authorities have continued to block prominent social media platforms, issuing fines to other platforms that refused to remove content and localise user data.
In March 2022, authorities also employed measures that outlaw ‘discrediting’ or ‘knowingly spreading false information’ about the military to imprison people who criticised the Ukraine invasion on online news sites or social media.
In the same month, a Russian court banned Facebook and Instagram in the country, citing its parent company, Meta, as ‘extremist’.
Australia
Unlike other countries in the list, Australians have unrestricted access to global platforms such as Facebook, Instagram, TikTok and X. Yet the country has made headlines in recent months for becoming the first nation globally to ban children under 16 from using social media platforms.
Platforms are now responsible for age verification systems, in a move set to address mental health concerns and online harms affecting teenagers. Since the legislation came into effect back in December 2025, 4.7 million accounts from the ten platforms that were required to comply were removed.
The UK and other countries are considering following Australia’s lead, but a new study tracking 11 to 14-year-olds in the UK found no evidence for boys or girls that heavier social media use or more frequent gaming increased teenagers’ symptoms of anxiety or depression.
UK
Like Australia, individuals in the UK have unrestricted access to social media platforms. But recently, regulators have stepped up pressure on major social media companies –including TikTok, Snapchat and YouTube – to improve protections for children in terms of age verification.
Companies have been asked to submit places by April 30 detailing how they will improve checks to verify users’ ages, limit contact between children and unknown adults and make algorithm-driven content feeds safer for younger users.
