China’s leaders have promised a decisive role for markets in its huge economy, and a litany of economic reforms are underway. But in many areas, the country is still relatively closed off. Try using Instagram, for example. No snaps allowed! According to CNN, China banned the photo-sharing platform after pro-democracy protests rocked Hong Kong in 2014.
Sorry, social media fanatics. Twitter is also off limits. Analysts say Beijing was particularly unnerved by the role social media played in the Arab Spring and the 2009 Green Revolution in Iran, leading to a blackout for the microblogging service.
China turned out the lights on Facebook (FB) in 2009, and there are no signs that Beijing plans to restore access to the U.S.-based social media platform.
Snapchat
Chinese users are unable to access Snapchat, as well.
Websites
Beijing blocks access to thousands of websites at any given time, including those that host pornography.
Foreign films
Chinese regulators allow only 34 foreign films to be shown in theatres each year, severely limiting access to the latest Hollywood blockbusters.
E-books and videos
The latest front in Beijing’s censorship campaign is foreign digital content. In recent months, Apple’s iBooks and iTunes Movies offerings and a Disney video-streaming service have both been shut down.
Casinos
Beijing outlawed gambling in 1949, and casinos are not allowed to operate in China. Yet many Chinese have an inclination toward games of chance, a tradition that dates back thousands of years.
Books
China’s General Administration of Press and Publication screens all books before publication in China, and censorship is standard procedure. Critical talk regarding human rights, Tibet or the Communist Party is off limits. Reporting on the wealth of Chinese officials is also forbidden.
