Facebook is currently blocked in Dubai and the rest of the United Arab Emirates (UAE). There are a few reasons why the government has implemented this block.
History of the Facebook Block
Facebook was accessible in the UAE for many years without any issues. However, in September 2006, the Telecommunications Regulatory Authority (TRA) of the UAE suddenly blocked access to Facebook across the country. This block lasted for just a few days before access was restored.
In October 2007, Facebook was blocked again in the UAE. This time the block lasted for several months. Eventually, in July 2008, access to Facebook was restored across the UAE.
For the next several years, Facebook remained unblocked and freely accessible in the country. However, in September 2016, the TRA once again blocked access to Facebook, along with a number of other social media sites and messaging apps.
This more recent block has remained in place until today. Citizens and residents of the UAE have now gone for over 6 years without access to Facebook from within the country.
Reasons for the Facebook Block
The government of the UAE has never publicly stated an official reason for blocking Facebook. However, there are several potential factors that likely contributed to the decision to implement and maintain the block:
1. Cultural and Moral Concerns
The UAE is an Islamic country with conservative cultural values. There are concerns that social media sites like Facebook could expose citizens to immoral content or ideas that go against traditional values.
For example, Facebook’s policies around nudity and adult content are more relaxed compared to the UAE’s standards. There are also groups and pages on Facebook that promote alternative lifestyles or religious beliefs that do not align with Islam.
Blocking access to Facebook may be seen as a way to protect citizens from exposure to content deemed inappropriate or immoral by the government.
2. National Security Concerns
Social media sites like Facebook enable rapid spread of information, ideas, and organizing among citizens. This has powerful benefits but also risks from the government’s perspective.
There are concerns that Facebook could be used to spread anti-government sentiment or to coordinate protests or dissent against the ruling regime. It can also expose citizens to extremist ideologies and recruitment efforts by terrorist groups.
By blocking access, the government maintains tighter control over how and where citizens can communicate, share information, and organize.
3. Economic Interests
Blocking Facebook may be seen as a way to give a boost to domestic social media companies and apps within the UAE.
For example, after the 2016 Facebook block, usage of Dubai-based app ToonDoo skyrocketed. The government may want to encourage UAE residents to use apps developed within the country rather than foreign services like Facebook.
There are also surveillance and data sovereignty issues. The government may want user data to reside on domestic servers where it can be monitored and analyzed locally rather than flowing to foreign tech companies.
4. Political Tensions
Ongoing political tensions between the UAE and other countries, such as Qatar, may also contribute to social media blocks. In 2017, the UAE joined Saudi Arabia in cutting ties with Qatar and imposing sanctions and transportation blocks against the country.
Facebook is a globally dominant platform that could enable continued communication and coordination between groups and individuals in the UAE and Qatar, undermining the sanctions and transportation blocks. This may motivate the UAE’s desire to restrict access.
5. Limiting Dissent and Opposition
While the UAE is considered more liberal than some other countries in the Gulf region, political speech is still restricted, and the press faces censorship. Critics of the government can face consequences.
Social media provides a platform for citizens to more freely express dissent or criticize officials. Blocking Facebook limits this capability and maintains the government’s tight control over political dialogue.
6. Cybercrime Concerns
Facebook and other social media platforms can also facilitate criminal activities like financial scams, fraud, hacking, or harassment. The UAE government may view restricting access to these platforms as a way to protect citizens from cybercrime.
However, critics counter that there are better ways to address this issue than a complete block, such as passing focused cybercrime laws and regulations.
Impact of the Facebook Block
The Facebook block has had a range of impacts on internet users, businesses, and the tech ecosystem in the UAE:
- Citizens and residents must use VPNs to access Facebook from within the UAE. This reduces user convenience and adds costs for VPN services.
- Advertisers and marketers are unable to use Facebook’s tools and platforms to reach customers in the UAE market.
- Event organizers, community groups, charities and other entities are hampered in their outreach and coordination efforts without Facebook.
- Friends and family members living in different countries are unable to connect and communicate via Facebook.
- Small businesses and entrepreneurs lose out on Facebook’s marketing, customer engagement and sales capabilities.
- Usage of domestic social media apps like ToonDoo has grown as users seek homegrown alternatives.
- Demand for VPNs within the UAE has surged, creating a new market opportunity.
- The tech and startup ecosystem may be hampered by the inability to leverage a major global platform like Facebook.
While usage of Facebook has dropped off within the UAE itself, those determined to access the platform still can through the use of VPN services. However, general awareness and usage of Facebook among the population has likely declined over time due to the block.
Circumventing the Block with a VPN
Although Facebook is blocked at the network level across internet service providers in the UAE, the site can still be accessed using a virtual private network (VPN).
A VPN allows internet traffic to be routed through servers in another country, bypassing the Facebook block imposed within the UAE.
Some popular VPN services used to circumvent the Facebook block in the UAE include:
| VPN Service | Starting Price |
|---|---|
| ExpressVPN | $8.32/month |
| NordVPN | $3.29/month |
| CyberGhost | $2.25/month |
| Private Internet Access | $2.69/month |
When choosing a VPN, it is important to select one that offers fast speeds, reliable connections, and servers based outside of regions that censor the internet. Connecting through a VPN server located in the US, Europe, or other countries typically allows full access to Facebook from within the UAE.
Using a VPN to bypass internet censorship does violate the UAE’s cybercrime laws. If discovered, those caught circumventing blocks on Facebook or other sites could face fines or jail time. However, casual use of VPNs to access blocked sites remains common despite the legal risks.
The Future of Facebook in the UAE
It remains unclear when, or if, the block on Facebook will eventually be lifted. For now, the restrictions look set to continue indefinitely.
However, if the government’s concerns around content and national security can somehow be addressed, the economic benefits of opening access to Facebook and other blocked platforms may eventually outweigh the perceived risks.
For example, Facebook has made concessions to national censorship demands in some countries where its service was initially blocked. In Vietnam, Facebook agreed to significantly ramp up content moderation and open an office in the country after access was restored in 2020.
If Facebook is willing to establish an in-country legal entity, proactively censor content, and cooperate extensively with local authorities, the UAE government may reassess its block. However, Facebook has also pushed back on extremely strict censorship and surveillance demands in some countries.
Barring a major shift in policy, an end to the conflict with Qatar, or intervention from the UAE’s allies in the US, the Facebook block seems poised to continue for the foreseeable future. Businesses, citizens, and the tech ecosystem will remain constrained by lack of access to one of the world’s most influential online platforms.
Conclusion
Facebook has been blocked in the UAE for over 6 years now due to a range of factors including cultural sensitivities, national security concerns, economic interests, political tensions, and a desire to limit dissent. Circumventing the block using a VPN remains common, but violates cybercrime laws and carries legal risks.
The impact of the block has been mixed, with benefits for some domestic tech companies but disadvantages for citizens, businesses, marketers and the startup ecosystem. Unless sentiments shift, the ban looks set to stay indefinitely, keeping Facebook restricted despite its global dominance.