Global Social Media Censorship Tracker · Updated June 2026
A real-time scorecard tracking social media bans, platform restrictions, and digital censorship legislation worldwide. No spin. Just status.
PAFACA signed Jan 2025 mandating ByteDance divestiture; enforcement delayed by injunctions. India permanently banned Jun 2020. Australia restricted government device access 2023. Florida AG filed suit Jun 2026 alleging exposure of minors to harmful content.
Brazil suspended X in Aug 2024 over non-compliance with Supreme Court orders; restored Oct 2024 after local legal representative appointed. Turkey regularly throttles under Law No. 5651 during civil unrest. Nigeria blocked access for 7 months in 2021–22.
Blocked in China since 2014 and Iran since 2014. Russia designated Meta an "extremist organisation" in 2022, restricting access to all Meta platforms including Instagram and Facebook.
Blocked by China's Great Firewall since 2009. Myanmar blocked Feb 2021 following the military coup. Russia's extremist designation of Meta in 2022 added Facebook to the restricted list under Federal Law No. 149-FZ.
Fully blocked in China and Iran. Russia began systematic throttling in 2024 as part of RuNet sovereignty measures; speeds reduced up to 40%. Active geo-restrictions on news content in multiple additional markets.
Brazil suspended Telegram in Aug 2024 for failing to remove illegal content; restored days later. Spain ordered a 5-day block in Mar 2024 amid a copyright dispute. CEO Pavel Durov arrested in France Aug 2024; released on bail pending trial.
Part of China's Great Firewall since 2017. North Korea prohibits all foreign internet platforms. Cuba has repeatedly blocked messaging apps during protest periods, including 2021 and 2024 civil unrest events.
Russia blocked LinkedIn in Nov 2016 under Federal Law No. 242-FZ for non-compliance with data localisation requirements — the first major Western platform blocked there. China blocked it in 2023 after Microsoft removed the social feed feature.
Turkey blocked Twitch in Aug 2024 citing failure to appoint a local representative under Law No. 5651. Fully blocked in China. South Korea restricted streams broadcasting illegal online gambling content under Broadcasting Act enforcement.
Brazil's Federal Supreme Court ordered Bluesky blocked in Aug 2024 for failing to appoint a legal representative. Block lifted within 72 hours after compliance. First significant legal test of the decentralised AT Protocol platform.
Part of China's Great Firewall with no compliance pathway. Blocked in Iran since 2012. Access prohibited in North Korea as part of its near-total civilian internet blackout — only a state-controlled domestic intranet is available.
Fully blocked in China. Russia has issued repeated block orders since 2023, citing Discord's failure to remove content deemed illegal under Russian information law. Turkey periodically throttles or blocks it during domestic civil unrest.
| Country | Bill / Law | Targets | Status | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 🇺🇸 United States | PAFACA — Protecting Americans from Foreign Adversary Controlled Applications Act | TikTok / ByteDance | Signed Law | Apr 2024 |
| 🇪🇺 European Union | Digital Services Act (DSA) | All large platforms (VLOPs) | In Force | Feb 2024 |
| 🇬🇧 United Kingdom | Online Safety Act 2023 | All platforms & services | In Force | Oct 2023 |
| 🇦🇺 Australia | Online Safety Amendment — Social Media Minimum Age Act | Social platforms (under-16s) | Passed | Nov 2024 |
| 🇧🇷 Brazil | PL 2630 — Fake News / Disinformation Bill | Social platforms | Stalled | Pending 2024 |
| 🇺🇸 United States | KOSA — Kids Online Safety Act | Platforms with minor users | Senate Passed | Jul 2024 |
| 🇮🇳 India | Digital Personal Data Protection Act 2023 | All data processors & platforms | Passed | Aug 2023 |
| 🇿🇦 South Africa | Online Safety Bill (draft) | Social media platforms | Draft Stage | 2024–2025 |
| 🇷🇺 Russia | Internet Sovereignty Law — RuNet (Federal Law No. 90-FZ) | All foreign platforms | Active | 2019 (ongoing) |
| 🇨🇳 China | Cybersecurity Law + Algorithm Recommendations Regulations | All platforms operating in China | Active | 2017 + 2022 |
All RSS feeds were checked but no articles matched the tracked keywords. The next run will try again tomorrow at 07:00 UTC.
Social media bans are accelerating globally. Governments restrict platforms for reasons ranging from national security to political control to child safety. This tracker surfaces the facts without editorialising — who is banned, where, what law enabled it, and what just changed.
Updated manually from primary sources including official government announcements, platform transparency reports, and independent monitoring networks. No ads. No paywall. No affiliates. No agendas.