Whatsapp is currently the most used messaging app globally with over two billion monthly active users. The messaging platform is also available in over 180 countries and in 60 languages with 100 billion messages sent on the platform daily.
Despite boasting of a massive global user base, popular messaging app WhatsApp is still facing restrictions in some countries following regulatory flaws.
News filtered in recently that WhatsApp may be exiting Nigeria due to violations in the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC)’s laws.
The FCCPC slammed a $220 million penalty on the messaging platform for data privacy violations following allegations of user data violations.
According to a report by Techcabal, WhatsApp responded that it may consider “withdrawing certain services” in Nigeria due to the FCCPC’s penalty.
8 countries where WhatsApp is either blocked or restricted
With the development, this report presents eight other countries that have either banned Whatsapp operations in their countries or restricted certain features of the app:
| S/N | Country | Whatsapp Status |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | China | Banned |
| 2 | North Korea | Banned |
| 3 | Syria | Banned |
| 4 | Iran | Banned |
| 5 | Qatar | Restricted |
| 6 | Saudi Arabia | Restricted |
| 7 | Egypt | Restricted |
| 8 | Uae | Restricted |
For China, North Korea, Syria and Iran, WhatsApp’s operations have been totally blocked in the country as residents don't have any access to send messages from the app.
For the other countries which include Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Egypt and the UAE, audio and video calls have been restricted in the country while messaging is still allowed.
According to some of the countries that have outrightly banned WhatsApp, the reason has been centered on the need to regulate information flow and to promote the local telecommunication companies in the country.
In Nigeria, the FCCPC in a statement said WhatsApp was investigated for allegedly violating the Consumer Protection Act and the Nigeria Data Protection Regulation (NDPR).
FCCPC further explained that WhatsApp pre-ticked terms and conditions for Nigerian users, prevented them from opting out of data sharing, and shared their data without explicit consent. The body noted that this was different from the platform's rules in other jurisdictions with comparable data protection standards and laws.