Apple removed Meta’s WhatsApp from its App Store in China last month, following an order from China’s Cyberspace Administration, the country’s internet regulator.
In April, WhatsApp also filed a petition with the Delhi High Court to challenge India’s 2021 IT rules for social media intermediaries, warning it might leave the country if forced to compromise its end-to-end encryption.
However, China is not the only country where WhatsApp faces significant restrictions.
Despite boasting over 2 billion users globally, WhatsApp is banned or restricted in several countries.
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While some users bypass these limitations with VPNs or other tools, not everyone is willing to take these extra steps.
In total, WhatsApp faces restrictions in six countries: China, North Korea, Iran, Syria, Qatar, and the United Arab Emirates (UAE).
In China, foreign messaging apps like WhatsApp have been blocked for years as part of the country’s stringent “Great Firewall” censorship.
As a result, local platforms such as WeChat and Weibo dominate the market.
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Similarly, North Korea enforces tight controls over internet access, banning WhatsApp and other popular global messaging services.
WhatsApp is also restricted in several Middle Eastern countries.
Iran and Syria have banned the app to control the flow of information, particularly in times of unrest.
The UAE blocks WhatsApp’s voice and video calling features to promote its local telecommunications services, while Qatar allows text messaging on WhatsApp but restricts voice and video calls.
These measures highlight the ongoing challenges WhatsApp faces in maintaining global access amid government censorship and regulatory pressure.
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