The United Nations has declared access to the internet as a fundamental human right. Unfortunately, that’s not the case in several countries. These regimes block internet access and have strict punishments for those who try to access blocked content. Here are seven countries with the most punitive internet restrictions.
North Korea
It should be no surprise that North Korea is on this list, as it’s known to be one of the most repressive regimes globally. It goes without saying that it would heavily limit and censor internet content. Recently, though, there’s been an increase in internet usage, but it remains limited.
Only a handful of websites are available to citizens and visitors. The government has strictly banned independent media and continues to systematically deny fundamental rights of freedom to its citizens and visitors. Those who are able to bypass the internet restrictions by using a VPN or other methods can face heavy fines, jail time, or even death. Recently, a man was sentenced to death for smuggling the popular Netflix TV show “Squid Game” into North Korea.
Myanmar
Myanmar’s government has blocked access to several websites, and it filters emails to expose anyone who disagrees with their rules. For a while now, Myanmar has been plagued by armed conflict between rebels and the government. Unfortunately, the greatest victim has been civilians. Internet restrictions have severely undermined the coordination of aid, humanitarian missions, and shared information among the country’s people. The internet restriction culminated in a total internet blackout in April 2021, which made it impossible for people to access information. The outage also crippled hospitals and businesses, causing massive panic among the locals.
Saudi Arabia
Saudi Arabia is home to the holiest Muslim cities: Mecca and Medina. The country's extremely conservative regime has blocked around 400,000 websites and restricted access to several social media platforms. Anything on the internet that’s incompatible with Islamic teachings is banned. Penalties for noncompliance include imprisonment and a hefty fine. Punishment is more severe for repeat offenders.
Iran
Iran is subject to various international sanctions due to its failure to disclose and eliminate its weapons of mass destruction. This has resulted in Iran becoming increasingly isolated from the rest of the world. Internet censorship in Iran is extremely high, and the country often ranks poorly on the World Press Freedom Index. It’s been described as one of the “biggest prisons for media personnel.”
The Iranian government regularly filters and blocks access to mobile data and Wi-Fi networks. The internet is slow, and data outages are common. The list of blocked websites keeps changing, however. Some commonly restricted websites include Twitter, Facebook, and YouTube. Any person wanting to be a blogger in Iran must register with the Ministry of Culture and Islamic Guidance.
China
China has restrictive internet policies regarding information control. The Golden Shield Project, also referred to by many as the “Great Firewall of China,” monitors internet traffic to identify any content that needs to be censored. The main focus of internet restrictions in China is not to allow international media to influence its citizens. The technical methods used to monitor and censor the internet include packet filtering and IP blocking. China’s internet censorship program blocks websites, filters searches, and erases “unfavorable” content.
Turkmenistan
There’s only one wired internet service provider in Turkmenistan, and the government fully controls it. The censored version of the internet is known as Turkmenet. The Turkmenistan authorities can easily block access to several websites and email accounts. Citizens or visitors cannot access Gmail or Yahoo in Turkmenistan. Internet speeds in Turkmenistan are already extremely slow, and the restrictions make it worse. Some users have successfully accessed blocked content through satellite internet, but the punishments are a serious deterrent.
Cuba
The Cuban government has enacted several regulations that criminalize accessing certain websites or sharing “offensive” content. The real objective of these strict policies is to restrict citizens from expressing their views or discontent with the government. Websites such as Zoom and Netflix are blocked in Cuba. Several Cuban news websites that criticize the government are also blocked. The punishment for bypassing internet regulations ranges from internet service termination to imprisonment.