North Korea’s Ministry of Posts and Telecommunications has officially declared ban on Facebook, YouTube, Twitter, South Korean and US websites to stop circulation of online information inside as well as outside the country, as per reports from Associated Press.
North Korea Officially Declares Ban on Facebook, Twitter and YouTube
Pyongyang has also blocked access to gambling and sex/adult websites. Social Networking giants, Facebook and Twitter were banned few months ago and ban on these sites is “for a certain period of time.” Moreover, very few North Koreans are enjoying Internet Access and they are using government permitted Intranet.
The new restrictions imposed in the country will make it difficult for the foreign citizens in North Korea to publish real time information about North Korea to the world and it will also restrict the power of North Koreans who are having access to check information posted about their country outside North Korea.
The announcement further mentioned that if anyone is found trying to hack banned sites in order to access them in “improper” way or circulate “anti-republic data” from them, he/she will be punished under North Korean law. However, it didn’t say what punishment will be given to them.
In terms of restrictions, North Korea is taking same censorship steps like China, but it permits more access in general, but it also bans sites that Beijing finds politically sensitive or dangerous.
South Korea adopts almost same measures like North Korea, as it also bans North Korean websites and the ones which contains adult content.
More than 2 Million people in North Korea use mobile phones, and internet access is limited to officials or others who have got authorization to use it. In 2013, North Korea permitted foreigners to use 3G on Mobile Phones.
However, Instagram appears to be working normally in North Korea and is not among banned sites list.