© Getty Images 

North Korea - In North Korea, only around 4% of the population have access to the internet. The websites they can access are all controlled by the government.

© iStock

North Korea -

Although the North Korean constitution calls for freedom of press, all media outlets in the country are government-controlled and only release content that’s supportive of the regime. Accessing foreign media is a punishable offense in the country, and those who do it are at risk of ending up in prison or in a labor camp.

© Getty Images 

Cuba - Cuba has become a popular holiday destination for people around the world, as entering the country feels like stepping back in time. While this may be an interesting experience, it reflects the country’s strict opposition to outside influences.

© iStock 

Cuba - The internet can only be used at government-controlled access points, and Cuba is considered one of the least connected countries in the Americas. Up until 2008, it was illegal to own a computer or DVD player.

© Reuters

China - China is believed to have the strictest censorship program in the world, which is jokingly referred to as the “Great Firewall.” They are known to block websites and remove content they find inconvenient.

© Shutterstock

China -

It’s even said that searches for terms like "Taiwan independence" or "Tiananmen Square massacre" will reroute to content that’s supportive of the Communist Party. China also spent many years as one of the top three countries in the world for imprisoning journalists.

© Getty Images

Turkey -

Turkey took an unfortunate nosedive into censorship over the past decade, as a new regime of information suppression took hold. It came to a head at the Gezi Park protests in 2013, when the Turkish media were seen to withhold information about the protests from the international media.

© iStock

Turkey -

The Turkish government has attempted to limit access to social media, YouTube, and even Wikipedia at various times. Residents used VPNs to regain access, which resulted in a country-wide ban on VPNs.

© Getty Images   

Saudi Arabia -

Since the current ruler came to power in Saudi Arabia, there has been further tightening of their censorship policies. Outspoken human rights activists and critics of the regime have been detained and given lengthy prison sentences. Amnesty International describes it as a “zero-tolerance policy on freedom of expression.”

© iStock

Saudi Arabia -

It’s reported that almost half a million websites are blocked in Saudi Arabia, mostly due to their conflict with the country’s traditional religious values. They have also been known to censor Netflix shows that criticize Saudi Arabia in any way.

© Getty Images 

Iran -

In Iran, anyone who wants to be a blogger has to register themselves at the Ministry of Art and Culture. This means that tabs are kept on them and they may face harassment or even imprisonment if they express opposition to the leadership.

© Getty Images 

Iran -

Free internet access is not a guarantee in Iran, as the government blocks many international websites and frequently uses media blackouts during times of civil unrest. The government-approved VPNs give them the legal right to restrict and surveil the internet usage of its citizens.

© Getty Images 

Myanmar -

Myanmar is a country with a difficult political history. At one point during the 20th century it had the most freedom of press in Asia, but repeated military coups and civil unrest have resulted in some of the strictest censorship laws in the world.

© Getty Images 

Myanmar -

The military coup that overthrew the democratically-elected government in February of 2021 has seen even stricter rules enforced. Media blackouts have been used by the military to prevent protesters organizing on social media and sharing the situation with the rest of the world.

© Getty Images 

Vietnam - In Vietnam, local internet providers are required to hand over all information about bloggers, so as to monitor them carefully and remove content that's critical of the government.

© Shutterstock

Vietnam -

Not only do they block websites that are critical of the government and the Communist Party, websites relating to human rights, democracy, and religious freedom are also blocked.

© Getty Images   

Syria -

In Syria, bloggers who are seen to jeopardize national security face the risk of arrest, but this flexible law can be used to silence freedom of speech. Internet cafes are required to ask their users for ID and monitor and report the activity to the authorities.

© Getty Images

Syria -

The Syrian government has been known to suppress information about human rights violations in the country, even using hackers to monitor those they believe to be disseminating opposing information.

© Getty Images 

Tunisia -

Internet users have very little freedom or privacy in Tunisia. Internet service providers have to report the IP addresses and personal information of bloggers to the government.

© Shutterstock

Tunisia -

All internet traffic goes through a central network. The government monitors that traffic and the content is carefully reviewed. They even monitor personal emails.

© Getty Images   

Turkmenistan -

The only internet provider in Turkmenistan is the government! This makes it easy for them to block websites at their will, and emails from all the major companies are monitored, such as Gmail, Yahoo, and Hotmail.

© Shutterstock

Eritrea -

In 2015, Eritrea was ranked the most censored country in the world by the Committee to Protect Journalists. The state-run media are the only outlet allowed to disseminate news in Eritrea. The very last international journalist was expelled from the country in 2007.

© Getty Images

Eritrea -

Even those employed to produce content for the state-run media incur the risk of being jailed if they write something perceived as critical of the state, or are believed to leak information outside of the country.

© Getty Images

Egypt - The Egyptian government has accelerated its censorship of the internet in recent years, blocking hundreds of websites. Many include local and international media outlets, and websites relating to politics and human rights.

© Shutterstock

Egypt - They have blocked hundreds of VPN websites to prevent residents from accessing the increasing number of blocked sites. Social media accounts with more than 5,000 followers can be blocked on the same basis as a website, if the government perceives them to be committing a number of offenses including criticizing religion.

© Shutterstock

United Arab Emirates - The United Arab Emirates have blocked many sites that they believe to be at odds with their moral values, including dating apps, adult websites, and politically sensitive material.

© Shutterstock

United Arab Emirates -

VPNs are not illegal in the UAE, but you can be punished for using a VPN to access websites for criminal purposes. However, it’s not clear what constitutes this, and the vague laws have created a culture of fear around using VPNs at all.

© Getty Images

Azerbaijan -

Even after Azerbaijan gained independence from the Soviet Union in 1991, they maintained the same censorship laws until 1998. Today, the main media outlets are run by the government and many international broadcasters are blocked.

© Shutterstock 

Azerbaijan -

Internet use is also heavily monitored, particularly social media, and many bloggers and social activists have been charged with crimes and even imprisoned for their online activities.

Sources: (Amnesty International) (USA Today) (Poynter) (Insider) (GISWatch) (The Hollywood Reporter)

See also: Famous protests and riots that changed the course of history

© Getty Images