Is KakaoTalk allowed in China?
SEOUL (Reuters) - Chinese authorities say they have blocked messaging apps KakaoTalk and Line as part of efforts to fight terrorism, South Korea said on Thursday, the first official explanation of service disruptions in China that began a month ago.
Here's a quick list of the websites and apps that AREN'T blocked in China – even though you might be told otherwise. Netflix/Hulu/Disney+: Technically, streaming sites like Netflix, Hulu and Disney+ are not blocked by China.
Other instant messaging apps, such as FB Messenger, Line, Telegram, or Viber, are also blocked in China. The only exceptions are the Chinese apps WeChat or Weixin.
China is the world's biggest social media market, but with access to websites such as Twitter, Facebook and YouTube blocked in the country, most people can only use domestic social media sites such as Weibo, Renren and YouKu.
Website | Domain | Current status |
---|---|---|
google.com | Blocked | |
YouTube | youtube.com | Blocked |
facebook.com | Partially blocked (available for tourists in Hainan) | |
Wikipedia | wikipedia.org | Blocked |
Is Zoom blocked in China? No, Zoom is not blocked in China anymore. The video conferencing company announced that its US website is now accessible in China.
Unfortunately, Telegram is one of the many popular messaging apps that is blocked in China. In June 2015 , it was reported that this app had experienced a DDoS attack on its Asian Pacific servers, which some thought was a Chinese state-sponsored attack. This led to this app being censored in China.
China (excluding Hong Kong and Macau)
Since then, YouTube has been inaccessible from Mainland China. However, YouTube can still be accessed from Hong Kong, Macau, the Shanghai Free Trade Zone, specific hotels, and by using a VPN.
WeChat: The #1 Chinese Chat App
WeChat is often called “The Chinese Internet,” as almost anything you do on the web you can also do on WeChat.
Contrary to some reports, Netflix isn't actually blocked in China, but rather the streaming platform has never been launched there. It's possible to access the Netflix website in China, but there will be no library of content for you to view. Netflix is available in more than 200 countries.
Which other app is like WeChat in China?
QQ. QQ is a popular Chinese communication app that is almost unknown in Western culture. This app allows you to instant message contacts, video chat, and meet new friends easily. It was one of the most popular apps before WeChat came to the market.
Well, the Chinese government has blocked WhatsApp since 2017. This means you can't send texts, share images and make voice or video calls using the app in China. However, there's good news. With a VPN, you can get around a geoblock and access WhatsApp.
![Is KakaoTalk banned in China? (2024)](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/wCTiS8tdBHo/hq720.jpg?sqp=-oaymwEcCNAFEJQDSFXyq4qpAw4IARUAAIhCGAFwAcABBg==&rs=AOn4CLCDSIiAPSqBdwSBJyb_HkCq4aW6iw)
Is Instagram blocked in China? Yes, Instagram is blocked in China. It was blocked intermittently starting in 2014 and now it is completely censored. Attempting to access the app from within mainland China will result in an error message saying the feed cannot be refreshed.
Although video-sharing app TikTok was developed by Chinese company Bytedance, it is not available in China.
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What's hot now: Chinese apps and games.
Chinese app | Rough western equivalent |
---|---|
WhatsApp + Facebook + much more | |
Baidu | |
Sina Weibo | |
DouYu | Twitch |
Google, Facebook and Twitter are all blocked in China due to the country's Great Firewall. They can usually only be accessed via virtual private networks or VPNs. The Tuber browser has now disappeared from app stores and its website no longer works.
Baidu FAQs
Baidu is China's largest and most widely used search engine, much like Google in the U.S.
Google. Yes, you cannot Google in China. The world's most-popular search engine is blocked in the country. Baidu is Google's rival in China.
"Zoom has confirmed that the zoom.us website is now accessible in China in addition to zoom.com. As such, local users in China should now be able to start and join Zoom Meetings and Zoom Video Webinars via the zoom.us website.
Recently, VPNs were banned in China and are now considered a crime by China's Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT). This comes as a hindrance to residents of China that have been using VPNs as a method to access various blocked websites like Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube.
Is Skype allowed in China?
Can you use Skype in China? Yes, absolutely. This is a popular app for travellers of all ages and preferences and works well in terms of audio and video quality.
Many countries have banned or temporarily limited access to Facebook. Use of the website has also been restricted in various ways in other countries. As of July 2022, the only countries to continually ban access to the social networking site are China, Iran, North Korea, and Russia.
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- VooV Meeting (Tencent Cloud) ...
- ClassIn. ...
- Neukol. ...
- 2Be Live. ...
- Koala. ...
- Zhumu.
Unfortunately, you will not be able to access Viber in all locations. If you want to access Viber app in China, you will have to use a VPN service. If you have traveled to China before, you may already be aware that many websites and apps are blocked by the Great Firewall of China.
If you're looking for what messenger apps work in China and how to make free calls from China, Zangi and iMessage & FaceTime are probably the best options, they're free, secure and private. And since it's not blocked in China, it can easily be used without the use of a VPN.
Twitter is officially blocked in China; however, many Chinese people circumvent the block to use it. Even major Chinese companies and national medias, such as Huawei and CCTV, use Twitter through a government approved VPN.
Globally popular streaming services like Spotify are banned in mainland China.
WeChat is the Chinese equivalent to WhatsApp and crossed 1 billion users in May 2017, a surprising number of them coming from outside of China's borders. WeChat is the closest thing to Google in China, combining messaging, social media, games, news, payment services, and more.
WeChat is the closest thing to Facebook that China has, and at nearly 1.2 billion users – including at least 100 million registered users outside of China – WeChat should be your top priority for your Chinese social media marketing.
- Join WeChat Groups. WeChat is the most used social media and texting platform in China. ...
- Find an Activity. China has countless activities to try, many of which are unique to Chinese culture. ...
- Travel. ...
- Learn Mandarin. ...
- Check Local Platforms.
Why does China have no Internet?
The reasons behind the Internet censorship in China include: Social control: the Internet is a means for freedom of speech, and dissemination of campaigns could lead to protests against the government. Sensitive content: to control information about the government in China.
The government has censorship over all media capable of reaching a wide audience. This includes television, print media, radio, film, theater, text messaging, instant messaging, video games, literature, and the Internet.
Facebook has more than 2.8 billion monthly active users worldwide, but virtually no footprint in China. 1 That's because the service, the parent company of which is now known as Meta (META), is banned in that country, along with many other global social media providers.
Nearly all mobile messaging app users in South Korea use KakaoTalk, making it by far the most popular messaging app in the country.
WeChat. WeChat is the most popular of all the social media apps in China, boasting over a billion monthly active users. Some call it “the Facebook of China,” but in reality, it offers much more.
Yes, Gmail is blocked in China, as are all Google services. After a series of frequent service interruptions, Gmail users on the mainland were completely cut off in December 2014. China gradually removed Google's presence in the country entirely over a period of time.
Can you use Snapchat in China? Sadly No, if you are residing in China or thinking about traveling there then you cannot use Snapchat in China because just like many other platforms, the Chinese government has banned Snapchat, so users cannot access Snapchat in China.
WeChat and QQ are two convenient communication apps for travelers in China. You can use them to get in touch with your friends and family in your country, contact your tour guide in China, or meet new friends in China. You can install them on your phone, computer, or tablet, and they are available for iOS or Android.
Is Youtube legal in China? Even though Youtube is blocked in China, it's not illegal to watch it. There is no precedent of anyone being charged with a crime for watching Youtube or using a VPN. China is well aware of the fact that many internet users are accessing blocked websites using VPNs.
TikTok, known in China as Douyin (Chinese: 抖音; pinyin: Dǒuyīn), is a short-form video hosting service owned by Chinese company ByteDance.
Who owns TikTok?
TikTok has already been banned in India, formerly its largest market. Other countries, including America, are considering their next move. It was only ten years ago that Zhang Yiming, a bookish Chinese entrepreneur a year older than Facebook's Mark Zuckerberg, founded a software firm called ByteDance.
The next big battles in tech are happening outside the Bay Area. Two years ago, the Trump administration engineered a deal for Oracle to store all of TikTok's US data, citing fears the Chinese-owned app would help Beijing spy on Americans.
The nonprofit's report, published Wednesday, underscores how TikTok has taken a different and less transparent approach in Russia than other global tech giants. By muzzling its users, the company has been able to keep operating in Russia, while Facebook, Instagram and Twitter have been banned or blocked.
If you're looking for what messenger apps work in China and how to make free calls from China, Zangi and iMessage & FaceTime are probably the best options, they're free, secure and private. And since it's not blocked in China, it can easily be used without the use of a VPN.
WeChat. WeChat is the Chinese equivalent to WhatsApp and crossed 1 billion users in May 2017, a surprising number of them coming from outside of China's borders. WeChat is the closest thing to Google in China, combining messaging, social media, games, news, payment services, and more.