The internet in Lebanon is censored to a certain extent. Due to weak rule of law and growing political and sectarian control over Lebanese media, there is limited freedom of expression.
Moreover, surveillance is on the rise. So, if you want to keep your private data safe from your internet service provider and other parties, and bypass censorship in Lebanon, the best thing to do is get a VPN. With a VPN, you can encrypt your online activity.
On top of that, a VPN lets you unblock apps and websites that are otherwise inaccessible.
The best VPNs for Lebanon are the following:
- NordVPN: Overall best VPN for Lebanon
- ExpressVPN: A high-quality VPN offering a Lebanon IP address
- Surfshark: An affordable Lebanon VPN with unlimited simultaneous connections
We know from experience how easy it is to unblock online services with NordVPN. It’s a fast VPN with lots of security features!
For more information on the state of censorship in Lebanon, keep reading!
Compared to countries like Qatar or the United Arab Emirates, internet censorship in Lebanon is seen to be limited. However, in recent years, there has been growing concern about blocked websites, erosion of freedom of speech, and self-censorship.
If you’re a Lebanese resident or you’re traveling there, you might find that certain apps or websites are inaccessible. On top of that, government surveillance is on the rise. A growing number of journalists, activists, and social media users have been pressured into removing critical posts.
Want to bypass Lebanese internet censorship and protect yourself against tracking? Use a VPN! With a top provider like NordVPN, you can encrypt your online activity and avoid prying eyes. On top of that, NordVPN gets you around restrictions on blocked news sites, streaming services, and apps. You can use its 30-day money-back guarantee to try it out!
Below, we break down the current state of Lebanon censorship and tell you how you can keep yourself safe online with NordVPN, one of the best VPNs for Lebanon we’ve tested.
Overview: The State of Online Censorship in Lebanon
With a relatively diverse media landscape, online censorship may not be the first thing you associate with Lebanon. Compared to censorship in Iran, for example, the internet landscape in Lebanon is much more vibrant and free. Moreover, Lebanon is slowly trying to catch up with new technologies like fiber optic internet.
However, in recent years, the government has tightened its control of (online) media in Lebanon and has begun to crack down on freedom of speech. On top of that, there are no solid data protection laws in place to protect Lebanese citizens against tracking and online surveillance.
Let’s take a closer look!
1. Freedom of speech: Self-censorship
Despite the fact that freedom of speech is legally recognized in Lebanon, the reality is that speech that is critical of the state, its policies, or its officials is censored to a certain extent.
The Cybercrimes Bureau has called on many people who expressed dissent online, including high-profile journalists and online activists.
According to Freedom House, those who criticize the Lebanese government, internal security forces, or certain political and sectarian groups are pressured to delete social media posts.
Out of fear of repercussions, self-censorship is not uncommon in Lebanon. In particular, marginalized groups, including the LGBTQ+ community, face hate speech online but risk defamation lawsuits or physical altercations when speaking out against it.
2. Blocked websites and apps
In line with limiting freedom of expression, the Lebanese authorities may restrict internet access to specific websites and apps they consider a threat to national security. While the list of blocked websites is not as extensive as in other countries, promoting dissenting views online can easily get a website blocked.
Often, there are no legal grounds to block a website or app, and the Lebanese government is not transparent about its reasoning and decisions. An internet service provider simply has to follow orders.
3. Surveillance and tracking
A 2018 report by Canadian internet watchdog Citizen Lab included Lebanon on a list of countries that used Pegasus, an Israeli spyware program.
On top of that, the Washington Post confirmed in 2021 that Lebanese authorities, indeed, used Pegasus to spy on several journalists, politicians, and social media users, who were sentenced by the Publications Court in some cases.
If you’re in Lebanon and worried about someone tracking your online activities, either private companies or political parties, a VPN is a great solution to bypass online censorship and stay anonymous. NordVPN prevents any third parties, including your own internet service provider, from getting their hands on your private data.
NordVPN also has a Threat Protection feature to protect against malware!
What Content is Being Censored?
Lebanon blocks online content based on national security grounds or social and/or religious norms.
The following internet services fall subject to varying degrees of censorship:
- Certain apps and websites have been permanently or temporarily blocked, including but not limited to WhatsApp, BBC iPlayer, and Wix, an Israel-based web hosting platform.
- Some gambling sites and services are also restricted.
- Sexual content, including pornography, but also internet services for escorts and online sexual education face limitations.
- LGBTQ+ content online, like Grindr, is blocked.
If you’re traveling in Lebanon or you’re a resident, but you’d like to retain access to certain apps, streaming services, or websites you want to use, NordVPN is an excellent VPN to do so. Your internet provider will not be able to see your online activity.
Why Does Lebanon Censor the Internet?
In most cases, Lebanon’s censorship is used as a form of control. The Lebanese government uses internet censorship to try and shape public opinion while simultaneously controlling and restricting people’s access to information and internet services.
With the rise of the internet, as well as the growing popularity of social media platforms, some use online censorship to crack down on political dissent online. An internet service provider can receive requests to take down online criticism of the state.
In Lebanon, it’s not only the governmental authorities that are guilty of this. Religious groups and conservative organizations also try and censor social media sites like Facebook or pressure the Lebanon internet providers to revoke users’ access.
Disinformation campaigns: Hezbollah
Often, propaganda and disinformation go hand in hand with internet censorship. Hezbollah, the militant Shia Islamist political party, has a large segment of Lebanon’s media outlets under its control. This can lead to manipulation of information.
Internet watchdog Freedom House observes that disinformation campaigns by Hezbollah’s “electronic army” are widespread. The target groups of these campaigns are both Lebanese citizens, as well as an international audience.
Those who criticize the group risk severe harassment.
How Does the Government Censor the Internet in Lebanon?
There are several different ways the Lebanese government can censor the internet. Most importantly, they hold a monopoly on telecommunications and use legislation to dissuade people from speaking their minds freely.
Control of telecommunications
As observed by the International Telecommunication Union, the internet penetration rate in Lebanon was 86.6% in January 2023.
For the most part, the Lebanese authorities maintain a monopoly over the telecommunications sector, including internet connectivity in the country. High-speed internet is not available to anyone, though there is fiber optic cable bandwidth.
While there is some media pluralism, Lebanon internet service providers operate under government control, primarily the telecommunications regulatory authority. On top of that, the Media Ownership Monitor shows that power revolves around key political figures.
Compared to other countries in the region, Lebanon’s censorship is still relatively mild, both online and for different forms of audiovisual media. However, due to weaknesses in the rule of law, the government has the power to block sites and apps at will and force any internet service provider to do the same.
Moreover, the Telecommunications Law gives them the authority to order full internet shutdowns.
Legislation
Article 13 of the Lebanese constitution grants citizens the right to freedom of expression and the right to access information. Unfortunately, contradictory legislation has created an environment where censorship can thrive.
The Lebanese penal code prohibits defamation of the president, public officials, and the Lebanese army. On top of that, Article 157 of the military code also explicitly prohibits criticism and insults against the army.
Generally, a court order is a requirement to block a website. But in some cases, as with the blocking of the dating app Grindr, for example, the Lebanese government takes matters into its own hands.
Data protection laws are also weak. Law No. 81 on Electronic Transactions and Personal Data (2018) was designed to protect personal data but only does so to a certain extent.
The Ministry of Telecommunications can collect any data from government-owned telecommunications providers Alpha and Touch and share this with other government institutions. This creates a serious infringement on people’s privacy.
How to Get Around Lebanon Internet Censorship
Wondering how to get around Lebanese internet censorship? Whether you’re a permanent resident or visiting the country, the solution remains the same: you’re going to need to use a VPN.
A VPN creates an encrypted tunnel between your device and the internet. This makes it more difficult for third parties to track your online activity. More importantly, perhaps, you can change the virtual location of your device with a VPN.
This is how you get around Lebanon censorship: by connecting to a VPN server in a different country, your real IP address will be masked by the IP address of that server. You can bypass geo-restrictions with a single click.
To get around censorship in Lebanon, we recommend NordVPN specifically. Setting it up is very easy. We’ll show you how!
- Go to the NordVPN website to sign up.
NordVPNOur choiceDeal Save big with 69% off a two-year subscription + three months free!From$ 2.999.3- Fast and large worldwide network of VPN servers
- Perfect for privacy and streaming
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- Download and install NordVPN. It’s a quick process, and you can get a NordVPN app for any device you like.
- Log in with the NordVPN account you just created to open the VPN app.
- Connect to a VPN server. Just click a place on the map to connect.
You’ll see that your IP address will be replaced by that of the VPN server of your choice. Now, you can access any local and global content you like, no matter where you are in the world. And the best part? You can try all of NordVPN’s features to see if the provider suits your needs and request for a full refund if you want to opt out.
Top 3 Best VPNs for Lebanon
We tested 40+ VPN providers to see which VPNs are best for Lebanon. NordVPN has come out as our #1 VPN for Lebanon, but we’d like to give you two other recommendations to see how NordVPN compares.
1. NordVPN: Best VPN for Lebanon (overall)
NordVPN is the best VPN for Lebanon, and with good reason! We’re consistently impressed by how well NordVPN can stand our testing and what this provider does to keep your data safe.
Here’s why you should consider NordVPN as a Lebanon VPN:
- Excellent security features: With 256-bit AES encryption, a Double VPN feature (route your traffic through multiple servers), a malware blocker, and full DNS leak protection, your private data is fully encrypted and safe from your internet service provider and other government agencies.
- Unblocking powerhouse: We have used NordVPN to get around the strictest of geo-blocks. It never failed to provide us access to websites, apps, and streaming services that are otherwise blocked, including any international version of Netflix.
- Fastest VPN of the moment: NordVPN is our fastest VPN, beating the competition in our frequent VPN speed tests. A fast VPN is a necessity for streaming, browsing, or any other online activity.
- Easy-to-use VPN: If you’ve never used a VPN before, you’ll be happy to know that NordVPN is one of the most user-friendly VPNs on the market. Want to try it for yourself? If you use NordVPN’s 30-day money-back guarantee, you can use the VPN risk-free for a month.
If you’re looking for a trustworthy VPN that unblocks the internet for you from anywhere, NordVPN is our #1 recommendation for Lebanon. New users can get 69% off.
2. ExpressVPN: High-quality VPN with local Lebanon server
If you want to bypass Lebanese internet censorship and have access to local streaming services like Télé Liban or use your online Lebanese banking accounts more safely, ExpressVPN is the VPN for you! This is one of the only premium VPNs in the market that can offer you a local Lebanon IP address.
From our own testing experience with ExpressVPN, we know there are plenty of advantages to this VPN service:
- Established VPN with high-end security: With ExpressVPN, you can count on top-notch security features. With military-grade encryption, DNS leak protection, RAM-only servers, and an automatic kill switch, we never had to worry about tracking. ExpressVPN also has a strict no-logs policy.
- Stealth servers (obfuscation): Express has dedicated servers that can hide the fact that you’re using a VPN. We found this especially useful for censorship-heavy regions.
- Apps for all your devices: Whether you want to use your VPN on your tablet, PC, or phone, ExpressVPN has easy-to-install apps that run smoothly on any device. You can also get a browser extension.
- Unblock geo-restricted content: With a server network of thousands of servers in 105 countries, bypassing censorship becomes a piece of cake.
While ExpressVPN is on the more expensive side, they offer short-term plans and have a 30-day money-back guarantee. You can use this as a free trial!
3. Surfshark: Affordable VPN for Lebanon
Our third recommendation for users looking to get around internet censorship in Lebanon is Surfshark. From testing Surfshark, we know this is a real value-for-money VPN that meets all your unblocking needs.
Here’s why you should consider getting Surfshark VPN for Lebanon:
- Affordable VPN for unlimited devices: Looking for a cheap VPN? With Surfshark, you get an excellent VPN at a very affordable price range. On top of that, you get unlimited simultaneous connections. This means that you can share your account with others at no extra cost.
- Obfuscation and top security: You don’t have to worry about keeping your data private. Surfshark can make your VPN traffic look like regular internet traffic. Moreover, you sign up for 256-bit AES encryption, the fastest VPN protocols, full leak protection, an automatic kill switch, and an adware blocker.
- Unblock major streaming services: We use Surfshark for all sorts of unblocking purposes. Its UK-based servers are particularly fast: we’ve never had any issues unblocking BBC iPlayer or any other British websites.
- Very user-friendly interface: Surfshark has one of the most intuitive apps in the VPN industry. Should you run into any issues, the 24/7 live chat support team is always available for quick assistance.
If you’re unsure about which VPN you want, it’s good to know that Surfshark also has a 30-day money-back guarantee. At the moment, you can also get a great discount: save 82% on your Surfshark plan.
Bypass Lebanon Internet Censorship With a VPN
Censorship in Lebanon is on the rise. If you want to protect yourself against government tracking, it’s best to use a VPN. A VPN will keep your online data encrypted at all times. On top of that, it allows you to bypass censorship with a different IP address.
At the moment, using a VPN in Lebanon is legal, but make sure you’re up to date with local legislation on what you can and cannot do online. Our best VPN for Lebanon is NordVPN. It offers enhanced encryption and robust security features that will hide your true IP and keep your personal information away from prying eyes.
If you’d like to get started right away and bypass online censorship in Lebanon, NordVPN has a fantastic deal at the moment that gets you 69% off!
For more information on bypassing restrictions in censorship-heavy regions by using a VPN, check out some of our related articles:
- Censorship in China: How to Bypass the Great Firewall of China
- Censorship in Saudi Arabia: How to Get Around it
- Censorship in Egypt: Reclaim Your Online Freedom
- Censorship in Cuba: How to Gain Internet Freedom
Do you have any lingering questions about Lebanese internet censorship? If so, check out our FAQ below for some quick answers!
Yes, Lebanese citizens have access to the internet. However, high costs and slow speeds can make the internet inaccessible.
In various countries across the Middle East, internet censorship is common. This includes Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, Lebanon, and Egypt. One of the strictest censorship regimes is Iran.
Yes, you can use a VPN in Lebanon. If you choose a premium VPN like NordVPN, ExpressVPN, or Surfshark, you won’t experience any issues trying to connect.
