Instagram block in North Korea

Warnings are appearing on Instagram accounts in North Korea that claim access to the popular photo-sharing app is being denied and the site blacklisted for harmful content.

Opening the app with mobile devices on the North Korean carrier Koryolink has resulted in a notification in English saying: “Warning! You can’t connect to this website because it’s in blacklist site.” A similar notice in Korean says the site contains harmful content, though that is not mentioned in the English version.

Such warnings have also appeared when websites that link to Instagram are accessed through desktops or laptops using LAN cables on the North Korean internet provider. The warnings have been appearing on and off for at least five days.