While the internet is often seen as a global resource, not all websites are available to users worldwide. Due to cultural, political, or regulatory reasons, several well-known U.S. websites are restricted or banned in certain countries, blocking millions from accessing content that many Americans take for granted. From social media platforms to major news outlets, these websites have been shut out in regions where governments are wary of their influence or content.

This list delves into ten popular U.S. websites that have faced bans or heavy restrictions around the world.

Related: 10 Pop Songs Banned by Governments

10 Facebook

Facebook, one of the world’s largest social media platforms, has been banned in several countries, most notably China and Iran, and is partially restricted in North Korea. In China, Facebook was blocked in 2009 following the Urumqi riots, with the government claiming that the platform was being used to organize anti-government activities and spread unrest. The Chinese government maintains a high degree of control over its citizens’ access to information, fearing that platforms like Facebook could be used to criticize the government or organize protests.

Instead of Facebook, Chinese users have access to local alternatives like WeChat and Weibo, both of which are monitored and regulated by Chinese authorities. WeChat serves as an all-encompassing app for communication, payments, and social networking, allowing the government tighter control over digital activities. For the Chinese government, restricting Facebook and encouraging the use of homegrown apps helps maintain social stability and allows for greater oversight of citizens’ online interactions.^[1]

9 YouTube

YouTube, the go-to platform for video content, has faced bans and heavy restrictions in countries such as China, North Korea, and, at times, Pakistan. Pakistan initially banned YouTube in 2012 after the release of the controversial video Innocence of Muslims, which was deemed offensive to Islam and led to violent protests across the country. Pakistan eventually lifted the ban in 2016 after Google assured the government it would remove certain offensive content. In China, YouTube is banned entirely as part of the government’s broader censorship efforts, which aim to control politically sensitive information. Recently, even Russia has begun efforts to ban YouTube.

In countries where YouTube is restricted, local alternatives often take its place. For example, in Pakistan, the government actively monitors video content, and apps like Dailymotion or Vimeo serve as popular substitutes. In China, domestic platforms like Youku and Bilibili provide similar content, albeit with heavy censorship. These local platforms allow governments to filter and regulate video content more effectively, which is essential in regions where online media is tightly controlled to maintain government narratives.^[2]

8 Twitter/X

Twitter… uh, X, known for its fast-paced, open platform, is banned or heavily restricted in several countries, including China, North Korea, and, until recently, Nigeria. In China, Twitter has been banned since 2009, with the government citing the platform’s potential to incite social unrest. China’s authorities are wary of Twitter’s ability to rapidly spread information and its appeal for organizing protests. North Korea, on the other hand, blocks Twitter entirely as part of its policy of isolating citizens from outside influences. Brazil has also recently banned X in a feud with Elon Musk over political content on the platform.

During Nigeria’s ban on Twitter in 2021, the government cited the platform’s alleged interference in Nigerian domestic issues after Twitter removed a controversial tweet by President Muhammadu Buhari. Nigeria eventually lifted the ban after Twitter agreed to certain conditions. In China, Sina Weibo functions as the country’s answer to Twitter, but with stringent monitoring and censorship. This reliance on domestic alternatives allows governments to offer a similar service while ensuring that posts align with national interests and narratives.^[3]

7 Google Search

Google Search is one of the most widely used search engines globally, but it has been banned in China since 2010. The Chinese government initially allowed Google to operate in a heavily censored form, but Google decided to withdraw after refusing to comply with demands to censor search results further. This move followed a series of cyber-attacks allegedly targeting human rights activists’ Gmail accounts, which led to increased tensions between Google and the Chinese government. China’s decision to ban Google Search is part of its strategy to control the flow of information within the country.

Since then, Baidu has become China’s most popular search engine, offering a similar service but within the government’s strict regulatory framework. Baidu censors’ results were related to sensitive topics, such as the Tiananmen Square protests and the Tibetan and Taiwan independence movements. The ban on Google Search underscores China’s commitment to keeping information flows in check and promoting domestic platforms that are more compliant with government interests, showing how censorship shapes even the most basic internet functions. ^[4]

6 Wikipedia

Wikipedia, the world’s largest open-source encyclopedia, has been banned or restricted in countries like Turkey (until recently) and China. Turkey banned Wikipedia in 2017, accusing it of hosting articles suggesting that Turkey supported terrorist groups, an accusation that the government vehemently denied. This ban lasted nearly three years until Turkey’s highest court ruled that it violated freedom of expression. In China, Wikipedia remains banned due to its articles on politically sensitive topics, including human rights abuses, Tibet, and the history of the Communist Party.

The decentralized nature of Wikipedia, where contributors from around the world can edit and publish information, makes it difficult for governments to control content. In China, people turn to Baidu Baike, a government-approved online encyclopedia that offers similar information but with state oversight. This censorship approach allows governments to limit access to unregulated information, controlling narratives and preventing citizens from accessing perspectives that might challenge official state positions.^[5]

5 Reddit

Reddit, often called “the front page of the internet,” is banned in China and has faced temporary restrictions in countries like Indonesia. China blocks Reddit due to its decentralized, user-driven content, which can easily delve into controversial topics that challenge government narratives [LINK 6]. Indonesia also briefly restricted Reddit due to its allowance of explicit content and discussions that contradict local cultural norms, but later lifted the ban with certain content filtering requirements in place.

In China, popular forums like Baidu Tieba offer similar functions but are tightly monitored by government censors. These forums avoid politically sensitive or culturally taboo topics, maintaining an environment consistent with the government’s internet regulations. Reddit’s ban reflects how governments prioritize control over online discourse and aim to restrict platforms that offer unrestricted freedom of expression.^[6]

4 The New York Times

The New York Times, a globally respected newspaper, is banned in China, where authorities object to its investigative reporting on sensitive topics, such as Chinese leadership, political corruption, and human rights issues. The ban began in 2012 after the Times published an exposé detailing the wealth of former Premier Wen Jiabao’s family, a story that embarrassed the Chinese government and prompted swift retaliation. Since then, the Times has faced ongoing restrictions as Chinese authorities aim to limit access to foreign journalism that may criticize or scrutinize government actions.

Chinese readers seeking global news often turn to government-approved publications like the Xinhua News Agency or Global Times, which provide news through a state-approved lens. The Chinese government’s crackdown on foreign media outlets highlights its desire to shape public perception and ensure that journalism aligns with national interests. The restriction on the New York Times demonstrates the challenges that independent news organizations face in countries with strict media control.^[7]

3 Dropbox

Dropbox, a popular cloud storage service, has been banned in China since 2014 due to concerns over data privacy and government control. Chinese authorities worry that Dropbox’s encryption makes it impossible to monitor, potentially allowing citizens to store or share information the government deems inappropriate or dangerous. Unlike other tech companies, Dropbox has not created a censored version for the Chinese market, choosing instead to maintain its commitment to user privacy.

China’s answer to Dropbox is Baidu Cloud, which offers similar services but complies with local data regulations that allow government access to stored data when needed. The Dropbox ban illustrates the clash between international tech companies’ data protection policies and governments’ demand for surveillance, especially in countries where control over online content is strict.^[8]

2 PayPal

PayPal, the global online payment system, was not outright banned but faced suspension in Turkey in 2016 after failing to comply with local data storage laws. Turkish regulators required all payment processing companies to store customer data locally, a rule that PayPal was unable to meet with its existing infrastructure. As a result, PayPal ceased its operations in Turkey, leaving Turkish users without one of the most popular digital payment platforms in the world.

Since then, local alternatives like Iyzico and Papara have filled the gap left by PayPal’s exit. Turkey’s insistence on data localization reflects a broader trend among countries looking to assert control over digital financial transactions and customer data. PayPal’s struggle in Turkey underscores the challenge for international companies trying to comply with varying regulatory standards while maintaining operational efficiency.^[9]

1 WhatsApp

WhatsApp, the popular messaging app known for its end-to-end encryption, has been banned or heavily restricted in countries like China, North Korea, and parts of the Middle East. China, in particular, has restricted WhatsApp since 2017, claiming the app’s encryption poses a national security threat by preventing the government from monitoring messages. End-to-end encryption is also frowned upon in countries where government surveillance is prioritized.

In China, WeChat, a government-approved messaging app, serves as the primary alternative. WeChat offers messaging, social media, and payment services, all of which the government can monitor more easily. The WhatsApp ban is a clear example of how encryption technologies can clash with national security policies, especially in countries where the government seeks full control over communication channels.^[10]

Most of our favorite websites and phone apps started off much differently than they appear today. If things had gone according to plan, you would be logging onto YouTube to find that date instead of Tinder or whatever app or website you currently use.

Want to plan a meet-up? You would think Instagram. Or, you just have a thing for comparing people’s photos? That would have been Facebook’s turf. How about if you wanted to know if the person you are about to call was available? You would use WhatsApp for that. The first version of WhatsApp did not even have instant messaging capability.

However, it appears that while the founders made their plans, fate often had other things in stock for them. Many founders watched as their initial plans flopped with only a small part of it becoming successful. Others like eBay, just watched them transform into some new products.

SEE ALSO: Top 10 Disturbing Facts About Facebook

10 YouTube Was A Dating Site

Today, YouTube is a hotbed of videos about almost anything. Curiously, it was intended as a platform to allow users meet prospective spouses at the time it launched in 2005. At the time, its founders, Jawed Karim, Steve Chen and Chad Hurley, wanted users to upload videos of them talking about what they wanted in a potential partner.

In keeping with their intentions, the founders used the slogan, “Tune in, Hook up” as the tagline of their website. No one uploaded any video though. Not even when the founders offered to give $20 to any woman who uploaded a video. The founders later decided to allow people upload videos about anything.

Jawed Karim, one of YouTube co-founders, broke the ice when he uploaded an 18-second video of himself at the zoo. As at the time of this writing, the video, titled “Me At The Zoo”, has over 79 million views with 3.8 million comments.^[1]

Related: 10 Disturbing Channels From The Weird Part Of YouTube

9 Instagram Was Created For Meet-ups

Instagram was founded by Kevin Systrom and Mike Krieger in 2010. It was not the photo-sharing social media site, as we know it today. It was not even called Instagram. It was called Burbn—after bourbon whiskey.

The naming was deliberate. Systrom—who singlehandedly founded Burbn—loved bourbon whiskey and thought it was cool to name his product after it. Besides, the name was in keeping with its purpose. Burbn was built to plan meet-ups. Users could check in at any place they visited, make plans with friends to revisit the place in the future and later post photos of the meet-up.

Burbn soon flopped because it was just too complex to use. Meanwhile, Systrom noticed that users were often more interested in sharing photos of their meet-ups than in using the other features. He brought Mike Krieger on board and they both developed what would later become Instagram.

The duo planned Instagram as something in between Facebook and Hiptasmatic, which were the two top photo-sharing sites at the time. Hiptasmatic had good filters but terrible photo sharing capability. Facebook was the opposite. Instagram would have both.

Systrom did not forget the lesson he learned from the failure of Burbn either. He made sure Instagram was as simple as possible. To achieve this, they removed everything else from Burbn except the photo sharing, commenting and like tools. Now you know why Instagram has a clean and easy-to-use interface.^[2]

Related: 9 Sinister Facts About The Dark Side Of Instagram [WARNING: Disturbing]

8WhatsApp Was Supposed To Be A Phonebook With Attitude

WhatsApp founders, Jan Koum and Brian Acton did not know they had created a messaging app at the time they released the first version of WhatsApp in 2009. Two years earlier, the two future billionaires, resigned their jobs at Yahoo to tour South America. During that time, they applied for jobs at Facebook but did not make the cut.

In January 2009, Koum acquired an iPhone. Then he thought about creating an app that would allow people to have a status update beside their names. The idea was to allow people to send information to prospective callers about whatever was happening to them. The updates could be anything. Like the user’s location or “battery low” when the user’s phone was about to die.

Koum named the app WhatsApp because it sounded like What’s Up. However, it never gained traction and Koum even considering quitting for a while. WhatsApp only became a hit after Apple introduced push notifications in June 2009. Push notifications allowed users to receive an instant notification whenever someone changed their status.

Koum soon realized that WhatsApp users frequently updated their status to communicate with themselves as if it were an instant messenger. He returned to the drawing board and WhatsApp version 2.0 was released soon after.^[3]

Related: 10 Final Messages From People Facing Certain Death

7 Wikipedia Almost Showed Ads

Wikipedia is the online warehouse of information about everything under—and above—the sun. You will find almost everything there. Even other encyclopedias that have been around for centuries are no match for its repository of information.

Wikipedia owes its success to its users. It depends on people to create all of its content for free. But the lack of in-house writers does not mean Wikipedia does not have some overhead costs. It needs to pay its programmers, hosting and fund some other running costs. And how about those lawsuits that will often pop up here and there? You cannot avoid lawsuits when you run a website like Wikipedia.

This means Wikipedia needs to make money somehow. The founders, Jimmy Wales and Larry Sanger, planned to generate money from paid adverts that would be displayed on the site. The sort of thing you see on almost every website today. Larry and Sanger hoped to make enough to cover salaries and hosting, even if they did not make a profit.

Fortunately for information seekers, Wikipedia went the non-profit route when Sanger left in 2002. Wales decided he would never show ads. He would raise money from donations instead.

The management of Wikipedia was taken off Bomis, which managed it at the time, and handed to the Wikimedia Foundation. The for-profit Bomis and the non-profit Wikimedia Foundation are both owned by Jimmy Wales. In keeping with its new intentions, the website switched its domain from the .com domain it used at the time to the .org it currently uses.^[4]

Related: Top 15 Funny and Bizarre Wikipedia Pages

6Ebay Was Created For Buying And Selling Pez Dispensers

Plans for what would later become eBay began sometime in 1994 when Pierre met his then-girlfriend and current wife, Pamela Wesley. Pamela was a collector of Pez dispensers. For the unaware, Pez is a brand of candy. The Pez dispenser is a small container that releases one candy at a time.

Pamela had complained to Pierre about her inability to find people wanting to sell their dispensers. Omidyar got some ideas and on Labor Day (September 4) 1995, launched a small shopping area on his personal website. Pamela and other Pez dispenser collectors used the mini site to meet dealers who were willing to sell their dispensers.

However, Pierre soon noticed that people were showing up to sell everything from dolls to household items. Five months later, Pierre’s shopping mini site was worth $3 billion with over 2 million users. The website had become so big that he had to move to its own dedicated domain we call eBay today.^[5]

Related: 10 Bizarre eBay Auctions

5 Facebook Was For Comparing Pictures

On October 28, 2003, Mark Zuckerberg launched a website he called Facemash. Considered the predecessor of Facebook, Facemash required users to click a button to determine which of the photos of two people was hotter.

To get his first users, Mark hacked into Harvard University’s database to steal photos used on students IDs. The website only lasted for a few days before the management of Harvard University shut it down. Mark was considered for expulsion but was saved when Harvard dropped charges.

Four months later, on February 4, 2004, Mark returned with a second website he called TheFacebook. It was almost like Facemash but with features to allow users meet new people. The photo comparison feature was also removed. Like Facemash, TheFacebook was initially limited to Harvard University students but gradually extended to other colleges, high schools and later, basically anyone.^[6]

Related: 10 Ways Facebook Makes You Smarter

4 Flickr Was Supposed To Include A Chat Room

Flickr was founded by couple, Stewart Butterfield and Caterina Fake in 2004. While the couple had always intended Flickr as the image sharing and hosting site as we know it today, it was not supposed to be all about photos. The original plans included a chat room.

Butterfield and Fake first unveiled what would later become Flickr at the O’Reilly Emerging Tech Conference, San Diego, on February 10, 2004. Flickr was still in development at the time. It was not even their main product. Their primary product was a virtual game titled “Game Neverending”. Flickr was their side project.

The couple later decided to focus on the photo sharing and hosting program when they discovered its potential. However, they removed the chat capability. Meanwhile, Game Neverending never got past the development stage.^[7]

Related: 10 Strange But Interesting Early Photography Fads

3 We Are Supposed To Send Tweets Via SMS

Twitter was called Twttr at the time it was founded in 2006. Twttr is pronounced “Twitter”, just like Twitter. It is the brainchild of Jack Dorsey even though Noah Glass, Biz Stone and Evan Williams would later step in as co-founders. Dorsey planned Twitter as a social media site that could only be updated via SMS.

Twitter would quickly run into problems with this model. Workers at Odeo—a podcasting business founded by Williams and Stone—who were beta testing the app, saw their phone bills increase by hundreds of dollars.

This was clearly due to the massive amount of text messages they sent. One employee spent over $400 on SMS in one month. Odeo even started picking up the SMS bills of workers that used the service. Twitter later switched to an all-web program at the time it launched, as the SMS model was clearly unsustainable.^[8]

Related: Top 10 Ridiculous Instances Of Censorship In Pop Culture

2 FaceTime Was To Allow Users To Make Phone Calls From Their Macs

In 2007, Roberto Garcia assembled some Apple staff to develop a program codenamed Venice. Venice was supposed to allow iPhone users to make voice calls from their Macs. However, the program soon stalled and the team moved to other things.

A year later, Garcia morphed Venice into Game kit, an iPhone program that allowed users to video chat while playing online games. He and his team were successful this time. Game kit itself was added to Apple’s social gaming app, Game Center, in 2009.

However, the video calling feature of the Apple Game Center (the former Game kit) was later spun-off to create the first version of FaceTime.^[9]

Related: Top 10 Most Important Apps Of The Decade

1 Amazon Only Sold Books

Amazon sells practically everything these days—from pins to houses (literally houses . . . not just building materials) and home appliances. Interestingly, Amazon had very humble beginnings. It was founded in 1995 to sell books. Just books and nothing else. The only thing it ever sold outside books were music CDs, but even those were considered a secondary product.

Amazon primarily sold books for three years until 1998 when Jeff Bezos started to expand. On August 5, 1998, the New York Times reported that Amazon had acquired Junglee Corporation, an ecommerce and software company that operated a price comparison website and online marketplace. Think of Junglee as the Amazon of 1998.

Amazon also acquired Planet All, an address book and social networking site with 1.5 million users. Amazon itself had 3.1 million users at the time. At the same time, Amazon revealed it would also allow third party vendors to advertise their goods on its site.^[10]

Related: Top 10 Bizarre Things You Can Buy on Amazon