As the political protests in Hong Kong have intensified over the last few days, reports have surfaced that Instagram had been blocked in mainland China on Sunday.
According to a report from Reuters, Hong Kong-based reporters from The New York Times confirmed that the photo sharing service was inaccessible in mainland China.
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The blocking of the websites are likely related to the violent images of clashes with police and protesters in recent days, as well as the rise of the #OccupyCentral hashtag, which has centralized social media reports emerging from Hong Kong during the protests.
The protests have largely been fueled by Hong Kong residents who are demanding the right to democratic elections in 2017 in the face of increasing controls by the Beijing government.
A quick check of BlockedInChina, a site that allows anyone to find out which sites have been blocked in the country, indicates that Instagram, its parent company Facebook and Twitter are all currently blocked in mainland China.
The peaceful protesters of Hong Kong being shelled with tear gas. #OccupyCentral #OccupyHongKong pic.twitter.com/lHU9c9LtvO— Noah Sin (@noah_sin) September 28, 2014
However, a check of WebSitePulse, a similar service allowing anyone to check on accessibility in Hong Kong, indicates that Instagram is still available to Hong Kong users.
BONUS: Police Employ Tear Gas at Hong Kong Protest
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