Facebook is a social networking service that has been gradually replacing traditional media channels since 2010.[1][2] Facebook has limited moderation of the content posted to its site. Because the site indiscriminately displays material publicly posted by users, Facebook can, in effect, threaten oppressive governments. Facebook can simultaneously propagate fake news, hate speech, and misinformation, thereby undermining the credibility of online platforms and social media. Many countries have banned or temporarily limited access to Facebook.[3] Use of the website has also been restricted in various ways in other countries. As of 2024, the only countries to continually ban access to the social networking site are: China,[3] Iran,[4] North Korea,[5] Myanmar, Russia, Turkmenistan[6] and Uganda.[7] However, since most North Korean residents have no access to the Internet,[8] China, Russia, and Iran are the only countries where access to Facebook is actively restricted in a wholesale manner, although it is possible to access the site through onion services.
Algorithmic censorship
Online censorship by Facebook of algorithmic methods raises concerns including the surveillance of all instant communications and the use of machine learning systems with the potential for errors and biases.[9] Mark Zuckerberg, Facebook's CEO and majority shareholder, published a memo on censorship. "What should be the limits to what people can express?" he asked. "What content should be distributed and what should be blocked? Who should decide these policies and make enforcement decisions?"[10]
Censorship by country
Australia
On 10 December 2025, due to a social media ban for children under sixteen that was announced by Anthony Albanese and came into effect on 28 November 2024, Facebook along with Instagram, YouTube, TikTok, X, and other social media were blocked for children under sixteen.[11]
Austria
Like France and Germany, Austria has laws prohibiting Holocaust denial. This caused 78 Facebook posts to be banned from the country in 2013.[12]
Bangladesh
Bans or former bans by country
See also
- Censorship by country
- Censorship of Google
- Censorship of Twitter
- Censorship of Wikipedia
- Censorship of YouTube
- Criticism of Facebook
- Internet censorship by country
References
- Engin Bozdag. Bias in algorithmic filtering and personalization Ethics and Information Technology, 2013-09-01^
- Matthew Ingraham. The downside of Facebook as a public space: Censorship old.gigaom.com, GigaOm, 21 June 2011, retrieved 3 June 2022^
- China's Facebook Status: Blocked ABC News9, July 8, 2009^