A recent study by Linkee.ai has unveiled that Facebook, with 3.05 billion monthly users, is the most popular app that is currently banned in several countries, including China, Russia, Iran, and North Korea.
A recent study by Linkee.ai has unveiled that Facebook, with 3.05 billion monthly users, is the most popular app that is currently banned in several countries, including China, Russia, Iran, and North Korea. Despite these restrictions, the social media giant continues to thrive globally, generating over $130 billion in revenue last year.
The study, which analyzed data from Statista on global and US. user numbers and revenue, along with Google search trends in the US, ranked the most popular apps that face bans in various countries. The final ranking was determined by the number of monthly users each app attracts.
Following Facebook, WhatsApp ranks second with 3.03 billion monthly users. The messaging platform is also banned in China and North Korea, as well as in Syria, Qatar, and the UAE. Despite having fewer US users—98 million compared to Facebook—WhatsApp is more frequently searched online, with over 5 million monthly queries.
YouTube claims the third spot with 2.7 billion monthly users worldwide. The video-sharing platform, which is banned in North Korea and faces partial restrictions in countries like China, Thailand, Malaysia, and Germany, is the most searched app for downloads online, with over 10 million queries monthly.
Instagram, with 2 billion monthly users, takes fourth place. The platform earned $60.3 billion in revenue last year, with $45 billion coming from US users. Instagram is banned in Vietnam, North Korea, China, and Turkey.
Google, despite its widespread usage, is also on the list, ranking fifth with 1.5 billion monthly users. The search engine, which generated $305 billion in revenue last year, is banned only in China.
WeChat follows in sixth place with 1.3 billion monthly users. The messaging app, which faces bans in India and partial bans in Canada, the UK, and New Zealand, continues to generate significant revenue, particularly in China.
TikTok, which could soon face a ban in the US, is ranked seventh with 1 billion monthly users, including 170 million in the United States. The app is already banned in India and faces restrictions in countries like Nepal, New Zealand, Taiwan, and Indonesia.
Spotify, with 602 million monthly users, ranks eighth. The music streaming service is banned in countries such as China, Ethiopia, Myanmar, and Venezuela. It is the third most-searched app online, behind only YouTube and Instagram.
Twitter (X), with 335 million monthly users, ranks ninth. The platform is banned in China, Russia, and Turkmenistan, and despite its lower user count, it still earned $1.75 billion in 2023.
Rounding out the top ten is PUBG Mobile, the only game on the list, with 30 million monthly users. The game, which generated $1.1 billion in revenue last year, is banned in India and has faced temporary bans in Nepal, Pakistan, and China.
As the global landscape of digital access continues to evolve, these rankings highlight the enduring popularity and economic impact of these apps, even as they navigate complex regulatory environments across different countries.
Here's a look at most popular banned apps worldwide:
| App | Type | Monthly Users | US Users | Total Users | Revenue Total 2023 | Revenue US 2023 | US Searches | Banned in |
| social media | 3.05B | 175M | $134.9B | $61.2B | 3.02M | China, Iran, North Korea, Myanmar, Russia, Turkmenistan and Uganda | ||
| messaging app | 3.03B | 98M | $1.24B | $40M | 5.39M | China, North Korea, Syria, Qatar and the UAE | ||
| Youtube | video sharing | 2.7B | 239M | $31.5B | $18B | 10.3M | North Korea, partial ban in Germany, China, North Korea, Thailand, Malaysia | |
| Intagram | social media | 2B | 133.5M | $50.58B | $60.3B | 6.78M | China, Vietnam, North Korea, Turkey | |
| search engine | 1.5B | 276M | $305.6B | $256B | 1.2M | China | ||
| messaging app | 1.3B | 4M | $16.4B | $71.4M | 45.6K | India, partial ban in Canada, UK, New Zealand (government devices) | ||
| TikTok | social media | 1B | 170M | 2.05B | $120B | $16B | 3.76M | India, partial bans in Nepal, New Zealand, Taiwan, Indonesia |
| social media | 335.7M | 76M | $3.4B | $1.75B | 6.1M | China, Iran, Myanmar, North Korea, Russia, and Turkmenistan | ||
| Baidu | browser | 667M | 7.5M | $14.57B | 164M | 2.5K | India | |
| Spotify | music service | 602M | 100M | $13.2B | $1.43B | 2.2M |
China, Ethiopia, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Iran, Iraq, Myanmar, Cuba and Venezuela |