YouTube is the most visited online video-sharing website in the world. It was blocked on many countries due of many reasons. It is currently blocked in mainland China, Iran, Sudan, South Sudan, Turkmenistan, Tajikistan, Eritrea and North Korea. It is the second most-visited website in the world.
Countries where access to YouTube had been blocked before
- Afghanistan (12 September - 1 December 2012 due to Innocence of Muslims)
- Armenia (8 March - 8 April 2008)
- Bangladesh (9-21 March 2009; 17 September 2012 - 5 June 2013 due to Innocence of Muslims)
- Brazil (6-9 January 2007)
- Finland (Music Videos were blocked in Finland on 30 November 2017, but it was later unblocked later that day)
- Germany (Music videos were blocked in Germany on 31 March 2009 - 31 October 2016)
- Indonesia (5-10 April; May 2008)
- Libya (24 January 2010 - November 2011)
- Malaysia (Videos about the criticism of the Malaysian government were blocked in Malaysia in May 2013)
- Morocco (25-30 May 2007)
- Pakistan (25-27 February 2008; 20-27 May 2010; 17 September 2012 - 6 December 2015 due to Innocence of Muslims)
- Russia (28 July - August 2010)
- Thailand (2006; 8-10 March 2007; 3 April - 30 August 2007)
- Any video prejudicial to Thai royalty is blocked
- Tunisia (2007 - 18 December 2010)
- Turkey (6-9 March 2007; 5 May 2008 - 30 October 2010; March 27 - May 29, 2014; June 1, 2014; April 6, 2015; 23-25 December 2016)
- United Arab Emirates (August - October 2006)
- Uzbekistan (15 October 2018)
- Venezuela (January 21, 2019; February 22, 2019; February 23, 2019; March 6, 2019; April 15, 2019; November 16, 2019)
Countries where access to YouTube has been blocked or restricted
- China (October 16, 2007 - March 22, 2008; March 24, 2009 - present; mainland only, the Shanghai Free Trade Zone specific hotels and by using VPN)
- Denmark (Music on Youtube in Denmark was blocked in July 2020 - present) due to copyright claims by KODA.
- Eritrea (2011 - present)
- Iran (December 3, 2006 - June 12, 2009; September 24, 2012 - January 17, 2016 due to Innocence of Muslims; January 20, 2016 - present, but it is unblocked on schools and universities for educational purposes in Iran starting from August 2017)
- North Korea (April 4, 2016 - present)
- Sudan (2008; 21 April 2010; 17 September 2012 - present due to Innocence of Muslims)
- South Sudan (2012 - present)
- Tajikistan (July 2012; 2013 - present)
- Turkmenistan (25 December 2009 - present)
Demonetization
Advertiser-friendly content guidelines have caused popular YouTubers who want to earn money from ads to self-censor suggestive elements of their videos to avoid demonetization. Content that are considered not advertiser-friendly include, but not limited to, inappropriate language, violence, adult content, and shocking content, along with more recent topics not yet added to guidelines including usage of copyrighted content and recent controversial issues such as COVID-19. The full list of guidelines can be found here.