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Country by country
Facebook in each country we test
Blocked means every network we test there failed to open www.facebook.com, twice, while it opened elsewhere. “Turned away by the site” means Facebook itself refused visitors from that country.
| Country | Result | Since | How it fails |
|---|---|---|---|
| ChinaChina Unicom and China Mobile | Blocked | 29 Sep 2026* | the connection never completes on China Unicom and China Mobile |
| IranTwo connections | Blocked | 29 Sep 2026* | the name points to a private address on Pishgaman Toseeh Ertebatat and ArvanCloud |
| RussiaRostelecom and MTS | Blocked | 29 Sep 2026* | the secure connection stalls on Rostelecom and MTS |
| AustraliaTelstra and Optus | Opens | ||
| BelarusBeltelecom and MTS Belarus | Opens | ||
| BrazilClaro and Vivo | Opens | ||
| EgyptTwo connections | Opens | ||
| FranceOrange and Free | Opens | ||
| GermanyDeutsche Telekom and Vodafone | Opens | ||
| IndiaJio and Airtel | Opens | ||
| IndonesiaTelkom Indonesia and XL Axiata | Opens | ||
| ItalyTIM and Fastweb | Opens | ||
| MalaysiaTM Unifi and Maxis | Opens | ||
| NetherlandsKPN and Ziggo | Opens | ||
| PakistanPTCL and Nayatel | Opens | ||
| Saudi ArabiaTwo connections | Opens | ||
| South KoreaKT and SK Broadband | Opens | ||
| SpainMovistar and Orange | Opens | ||
| ThailandAIS Fibre and TOT | Opens | ||
| TurkeyTürk Telekom and Turkcell Superonline | Opens | ||
| UAEEtisalat and du | Opens | ||
| UKBT and Virgin Media | Opens | ||
| USComcast Xfinity and AT&T | Opens | ||
| VietnamViettel and FPT Telecom | Opens |
* First observed on this date: the block may be older. Older results are excluded from current totals.
Background
Where Facebook is restricted, and why
China blocked Facebook in July 2009, during a crackdown that followed deadly riots in Ürümqi, Xinjiang, and Freedom House still listed it among the platforms blocked there in 2024. Iran blocked it the same year, during the protests over the disputed presidential election, and kept it blocked when it decided to lift its bans on WhatsApp and Google Play in December 2024. North Korea announced a block in April 2016, and Turkmenistan bans most Western social networks.
Some Facebook blocks are aimed at the company itself. Russia blocked it on 4 March 2022, saying Facebook had restricted Russian media outlets’ accounts, and a Moscow court banned Meta’s Facebook and Instagram as “extremist” on 21 March. Uganda cut Facebook off in January 2021, days before a presidential election, after it removed accounts linked to the government. In March 2026 the ICT minister of state said the suspension would last until Facebook met the government’s conditions.
Myanmar’s military ordered Facebook blocked on 3 February 2021, days after seizing power, and from May 2021 limited mobile users to a list of approved sites that left it out. Short blocks often come with unrest: Nepal blocked Facebook and 25 other platforms in September 2025 for not registering with the government, then lifted the ban days later after 19 people were killed in protests. In February 2026 Gabon’s media regulator suspended social media “until further notice”.
Facebook’s missing news in Canada is Meta’s own choice, not a government block. Since August 2023 people there haven’t been able to view or share news on Facebook and Instagram: Meta removed it in response to the Online News Act, which requires platforms to pay news publishers for their content. In January 2026 the culture minister’s office said talks with Meta about bringing news back were under way, though the minister called them “very preliminary”.
Key dates
- Uganda’s ICT minister of state says Facebook, blocked since January 2021, stays suspended until it meets the government’s conditions.
- Gabon’s media regulator suspends social media “until further notice”, and Facebook is among the platforms cut off.
- Nepal blocks Facebook and 25 other platforms that hadn’t registered with the government, then lifts the ban after deadly protests.
- Meta starts removing news from Facebook and Instagram for people in Canada, in response to the Online News Act.
- Russia blocks Facebook over its restrictions on Russian media accounts; a Moscow court bans it as “extremist” on 21 March.
- China blocks Facebook during a crackdown after deadly riots in Ürümqi, Xinjiang.
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History
Changes for Facebook
No confirmed changes since monitoring began on 29 Sep 2026. When a block appears or lifts, and a re-check on several machines agrees, it shows up here.
Method
How we test
- Test machines on two big home-internet providers in each country open the homepage every day.
- A failure counts only when it happens twice on the same network, while the site opens from other countries.
- A change is published only after a re-check a few hours later, on several machines per provider, confirms it. It’s dated from the first sighting.
- Test machines caught getting around blocks, through a VPN or a filter-dodging tool, are set aside.
- We test websites over home broadband. Apps, calls and mobile networks can behave differently.
Questions
Facebook blocks: questions
Which Countries Block Facebook?
China and Iran have blocked Facebook since 2009, North Korea since 2016 and Russia since March 2022. Uganda has kept it blocked since January 2021, Myanmar’s military ordered it blocked in February 2021, and Turkmenistan bans most Western social networks. Others, such as Nepal in September 2025, have cut it off for days.
Why Is Facebook Blocked in China?
It was blocked in July 2009, during a government crackdown on activists after deadly riots in Ürümqi, Xinjiang, when the authorities moved to restrict what people could see online. It has stayed blocked since: Freedom House’s 2024 report lists Facebook among the international platforms blocked in China.
Why Can’t I See News on Facebook in Canada?
Meta removed it. Since August 2023 people in Canada can’t view or share news articles or news outlets’ posts on Facebook and Instagram, Meta’s response to the Online News Act, which requires platforms to pay news publishers. In January 2026 Ottawa said early talks about bringing news back were under way.
Answers
Questions about Facebook
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