Facebook Restrictions Abroad: How to Bypass Them?

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Facebook, one of the social media platform giants second only to Twitter, boasts over one billion users worldwide. Despite having overwhelming popularity worldwide, you might want to consider using Facebook while traveling to some countries. It’s because Facebook faces a permanent ban in countries like North Korea, Iran, and China.

Some governments have imposed restrictions over Facebook content about political or religious activities. Countries like India, Pakistan, Cuba, Malaysia, Turkey, Bangladesh, Vietnam, Syria, and Egypt have imposed content filtering with heavy Facebook restrictions.

Why Do Countries Restrict Access to Facebook?

Facebook is the second most popular social media platform. Much content is displayed, which is not deemed appropriate by some country’s government. The content might be political or religious, which causes the government to filter it.

In countries like Turkey and China restrictions, there are restrictions on social media platforms. The citizens don’t access content related to politics as the content can be dangerous for society.

Countries That Restricted Access To Facebook

The Countries listed have blocked access to Facebook at some point in the past. Let’s take a look at which countries have imposed restrictions on Facebook:

CountryStatusReason
North KoreaBlockedThe totalitarian state operates a  restricted internet. It imposes bans on content that might harm the state, including Facebook. 
IranBlockedAfter the 2009 Elections, the state imposed a ban on Facebook. The reason was that the opposition movement and radical groups are planning events through social media platforms.
ChinaBlockedAfter introducing the “ Great Firewall Of China” in 2009, China has imposed bans on social media platforms like Facebook. It claims that Rioters in Xinjiang were using the platform to coordinate the riots. 
CubaContent RestrictedUnder Cuban Laws, politicians, journalists, and individual medical professionals can use the internet. For citizens, the internet is available only on the licensed internet. Cafe’s charge $-6 to $10 in a country where the average income per month is $20. 
EgyptContent RestrictedThe state blocked access during the attempted overthrow of Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak. Since then, ISPs are doing bandwidth throttling to restrict access to websites. 
TajikistanBlockedSince 2012, Tajikistan has placed a ban on Facebook. The ban was in response to negative comments about President Emomalii Rahmon and some government officials.
VietnamContent RestrictedIn 2016, the Government-issued a ban on Facebook for two weeks. Since then, the government is restricting content on Facebook.
IndiaContent RestrictedIn 2016, India banned most of the social media platforms in Kashmir Valley. The reasons were that Pakistan and their Intelligence agency is using these platforms.Also, content about government officials is being blocked on social media.
BangladeshContent RestrictedIn 2010, Facebook went through a ban as a protest against the blasphemous content released on a few pages. Now, even though the prohibition ended, the application of content filtering is in use. 
PakistanContent RestrictedIn 2010, Facebook underwent a ban in Pakistan. The ban was about the blasphemous content released on a few pages. Until now, the content restriction is in place. So that the government and ISPs can keep track of any content that might hurt the state.

How To Bypass Facebook Restrictions?

Facebook restrictions in some countries and offices have pushed people in isolation. It prevents them from connecting to people they love and halting their social media life.

Here are some ways to bypass Facebook restrictions: 

Tor Browser

Suppose the above methods don’t work for you. You can use the Tor browser to bypass the restrictions that have been imposed by the Government or the ISP.

Tor Browser encrypts all your data when you are online on the web. It routes your data via three different nodes while encrypting your data during the whole process. ISP can not track your online activity, and you can surf any of the restricted webs over the internet. 

Proxy Server

Another way to bypass Facebook restrictions is by using a proxy server or a web-based proxy service. Some proxy servers are free, while you have to pay for some top-rated Proxy servers.

Proxy servers are reliable, but most of the free servers are full of advertisements. You would have to battle tens or hundreds of ads depending on how long your proxy server session is.

Also, most of the servers are relatively known, so your ISP might restrict them.

VPN

VPN is a better option to unblock Facebook in countries like China, North Korea, and Iran. A VPN creates an end-to-end encryption tunnel between your device and the website you want to reach. All the data passes through open ports but is encrypted. In this way, your ISP can not track your activity, making you anonymous over the internet. While a VPN grants you access to Facebook, it also masks your IP address, making you invisible in front of your ISP. 

There are many VPN providers but what you need is the best trustworthy VPN that grants total anonymity over the internet. It includes features like a no-logs policy, a 256-bit encryption protocol, and a kill switch.

Conclusion

Accessing any restricted website can be easy if you have the right tools.

Out of all the methods, the easiest and the most secure way is purchasing an ideal VPN service. Tor browser is also a good option, but it only provides anonymity over the web browser. It means that you can not use the Facebook App.

A VPN will secure your whole device and any application you use. Also, it will mask the IP of any website you are surfing.

Kenneth G Aranda

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