We have become the 5th country among 208 to ban Instagram
The rest of the world is competing in the Olympics, while we are competing in bans. We have become the 5th country to ban Instagram. So, which countries are they, and what are their reasons for the ban?
12punto
The access ban imposed by the Information and Communication Technologies Authority (BTK) on Instagram, a social media platform originally created for sharing photos and status updates but which has since become one of the most important communication tools of the era, hosting over 2 billion users, has brought with it the question: "Are there other countries that do this?"
The answer is "yes," but in such a small number that it offers little comfort.
Including Turkey, there are a total of 5 countries that have banned Instagram. We have compiled the reasons for the bans in those other countries for you:
CHINA IS THE PIONEER OF THIS BAN
China is in first place. The milestone for the ban in China was the active use of Instagram during the street protests in Hong Kong in 2014. China's justification for the ban is quite similar to the justifications given by Fahrettin Altun: "To prevent the spread of uncontrolled information." Furthermore, another justification from the government in China was the claim that these platforms were being used by foreign intelligence agencies. With these justifications, the government that imposed the ban recommended other local programs to its citizens that the progressive public in China found untrustworthy. (Just like President Erdoğan's words about a year ago, "we need a domestic and national Twitter...") In the country where Facebook, Twitter, WhatsApp, and YouTube are also banned, the Google search engine and its services are also blocked.
Iran also took its place among the countries that banned Instagram two years ago. The basis for this ban also stems from street protests. The effort to suppress the Mahsa Amini protests, which made a huge impact worldwide in 2022, was the starting point for the ban in Iran. In a country where Facebook, Twitter (X), and YouTube platforms were already banned, this is how Instagram and WhatsApp entered the list of banned platforms. Instagram was banned in Iran in September 2022 on the grounds that it provoked people and threatened public order.
THE REASONS FOR THE BANS ARE VERY SIMILAR
North Korea, one of the first countries that comes to mind when it comes to social bans, did not miss the chance to join the list of those blocking Instagram. Almost all internet is banned in the country. Only an intranet system called "Kwangmyong," which provides a very limited network service, is allowed to be used. This network does not allow the use of any known social media platform. Moreover, the number of people using the internet is also under the monopoly of the government.
Russia, which recently announced that the US was trying to influence its elections through social media platforms, is also on this list. The milestone for the ban in Russia is the state of war with Ukraine. Russia, at war with Ukraine, responded to many Western companies imposing embargoes on it by implementing its own embargo decisions. Instagram also fell victim to these embargo wars. When Meta, the parent company of Instagram, restricted accounts on its platforms that were pro-Russian regarding the war, Russian President Putin accused the company of displaying a "hypocritical attitude" and implemented the ban. As a state policy in the country, citizens are directed to local platforms such as Yandex and VKontakte.
As of today, Turkey has joined the ranks of these countries.