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Blocked since August 2018 during a wave of website bans. China gave no reason, and the block spread from Beijing and Shenzhen to the whole mainland. Reddit still works in Hong Kong.
- Status
- Banned
- Country
- China
- Category
- Apps & Websites
- Banned since
- 2018-08
- Last checked
- 01/11/2026
Reddit has been blocked in mainland China since August 2018. Users first reported problems on 10 August, and by 12 August the site would not load in several regions without a VPN.
Key facts
- Status: blocked in mainland China, works in Hong Kong
- Since: August 2018
- Official reason: none given
- Access today: only through a VPN
Why did China block Reddit?
China never gave an official reason. The block came during a wider wave of censorship in mid-2018, when authorities were blocking a string of foreign websites, including news and China-watching sites that had been reachable for years.
Many observers were surprised, because Reddit had a tiny audience in China. A Fudan University professor wrote on Weibo that the ban was hard to believe, since few people in China used the site and those who did could already get around the Great Firewall. His post was later censored.
Was Reddit blocked everywhere in China at once?
Not at first. In the first days, tests showed Reddit blocked in Beijing, Shenzhen, Inner Mongolia, Heilongjiang and Yunnan but still loading in places such as Shanghai and Hangzhou. Over the following weeks the block became nationwide. A 2015 report that Reddit had been blocked turned out to be wrong, which is why the 2018 date is the one that counts.
Is Reddit still banned in China?
Yes. Reddit remains blocked in mainland China and is only reachable with a VPN. It works normally in Hong Kong.
Reddit joined a long list of American platforms behind the Great Firewall, from Facebook to X (Twitter). A month later China also cut off the streaming site Twitch. See every Chinese restriction we track on the China bans page.
Sources
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Reddit banned in China?
Yes. Reddit has been blocked in mainland China since August 2018 and can only be reached with a VPN. It works normally in Hong Kong.
Why did China ban Reddit?
China never gave an official reason. The block came during a wider wave of website bans in mid-2018, even though Reddit had very few users in China.
When was Reddit blocked in China?
Users first reported problems on 10 August 2018. The block started in cities such as Beijing and Shenzhen and later covered the whole mainland.