Instagram has reportedly been blocked in China after images of pro-democracy protests in Hong Kong flooded the photo-sharing app.
Instagram users in Hong Kong had been posting photos showing the massive protests, including Hong Kong police firing tear gas at demonstrators, CNN reported.
Many of the photos were labeled with the hash tag “Occupy Central,” a phrase that was blocked on Sunday on Weibo, China’s version of Twitter, Reuters reported.
Instagram appeared to have been blocked Sunday, according to several reports. The photo-sharing app is one of the very few non-Chinese social media apps still accessible in the mainland. Facebook, YouTube and Twitter have been blocked in China for years.
Instagram will remain accessible in Hong Kong, which is beyond the reach of Beijing’s censors, CNN reported. Users in other countries would also be able to view the images.
• Jessica Chasmar can be reached at jchasmar@washingtontimes.com.
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