China has blocked all language versions of Wikipedia

Wikipedia is now completely inaccessible in mainland China.
 By 
Stan Schroeder
 on 
Original image replaced with Mashable logo
Original image has been replaced. Credit: Mashable

Wikipedia is now completely inaccessible in China.

The Chinese version of the online encyclopedia has been blocked in the country since 2015, but the BBC reported (and the Wikimedia Foundation confirmed) that all language versions of Wikipedia are now blocked in mainland China.

"In late April, the Wikimedia Foundation determined that Wikipedia was no longer accessible in China. After closely analysing our internal traffic reports, we can confirm that Wikipedia is currently blocked across all language versions," Wikimedia said in a statement.

The Open Observatory of Network Interference (OONI) has gathered data on China's Wikipedia block, concluding that "multiple language editions of Wikipedia have been blocked in China as of April 2019."

China has been actively blocking certain internet sites, including Google, Facebook, Twitter and YouTube, for years, but -- somewhat surprisingly -- all but the Chinese versions of Wikipedia were available. Wikimedia says it hadn't receive any notice of China's move.

Wikipedia has been blocked in Turkey since 2017, and has intermittently been blocked in several other countries, including Iran, Saudi Arabia and Venezuela.

Topics Activism

Stan Schroeder
Stan Schroeder
Senior Editor

Stan is a Senior Editor at Mashable, where he has worked since 2007. He's got more battery-powered gadgets and band t-shirts than you. He writes about the next groundbreaking thing. Typically, this is a phone, a coin, or a car. His ultimate goal is to know something about everything.

Mashable Potato

Recommended For You
All the states Pornhub is blocked in now
Pornhub logos displayed on a smartphone screen and on a computer screen


U.S. government creates website to get around European content bans
A screenshot of the freedom.gov homepage, which says "Freedom is Coming. Information is power. Reclaim your human right to free expression. Get ready."



Trending on Mashable
NYT Connections hints today: Clues, answers for April 3, 2026
Connections game on a smartphone

Wordle today: Answer, hints for April 3, 2026
Wordle game on a smartphone

Google launches Gemma 4, a new open-source model: How to try it
Google Gemma

NYT Strands hints, answers for April 3, 2026
A game being played on a smartphone.

The biggest stories of the day delivered to your inbox.
These newsletters may contain advertising, deals, or affiliate links. By clicking Subscribe, you confirm you are 16+ and agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.
Thanks for signing up. See you at your inbox!