Streaming services that operate in multiple countries must adhere to the censorship and free speech laws of each country. It’s often a no-win situation. If they refuse, they risk being banned or heavily fined for violating local laws.
They also forfeit substantial revenue streams. If they agree to censor content, they risk being criticized for caving in to pressures from special interest groups or foreign powers and sacrificing the artistic integrity of their content for profits.
It's not hard to agree that every program is not suited for every audience. That said, I choose what to stream according to my moral compass and my belief in keeping an open mind. Sometimes these criteria clash. When they do, I choose something else to watch. I’m fortunate to still be able to do so. Recent efforts to rewrite/sanitize history or spread misinformation to demonize or exonerate groups of people put our ability to choose the content we create, distribute, or view at risk.
“The truth is rarely pure and never simple.” Oscar Wilde. I learned there’s an appropriate Wilde quote for every situation. The truth is messy and sometimes unpleasant, but we learn more from one truth than a thousand “well-intentioned” lies.
In the spirit of trying to understand the many reasons films or television shows are censored, I’m listing films that have been challenged or banned in different countries.
The Phantom of the Opera (1925) was banned in the United Kingdom after being deemed “too horrifying” for general audiences to watch by the Cinematograph Exhibitor’s Association one hundred years ago.
A Clockwork Orange (1971) was banned for violence, nudity, sexual violence, and the occurrence of copycat crimes in the U.K. and the U.S. The film was edited to enable it to receive an “R” rating in the U.S., but the content remained objectionable in several countries. Banned in Canada, Ireland, Brazil, South Africa, Malaysia, Singapore, South Korea, and Malta. In the U.K. where the film was made, director Stanley Kubrick’s family requested it be banned after receiving multiple death threats.
A scene in Barbie (2023) that shows a map with the “nine-dash line” (China’s controversial dividing line representing its territorial claims in the South China Sea) caused the film to be banned in Vietnam. Use of a similar map in the animated film Abominable (2019) also resulted in a ban by Vietnam as well as calls for a boycott by the Philippine government.
Monty Python’s Life of Brian (1979) was banned in several U.S. towns, Ireland, and Norway because of it’s “controversial themes about Christianity.” In response, Disney leadership cut the kissing scene. Pixar employees protested Disney’s decision, and the kiss was later restored. Many conservative groups called for boycotts in retaliation for the kiss being restored.
The 2025 film Snow White was banned in Lebanon not because of content, but because the leading actress Gal Gadot is Israeli-born and she completed a mandatory two-year service in the Israel Defense Forces.
Queer (2024) which stars Daniel Craig and Drew Starsky was banned in Türkiye for its provocative LGBTQIA+ content and full frontal nudity. Luca Guadagnino, the film’s director, insisted the real outrage was coming from a small group of fans and the media who didn’t like seeing Craig (a beloved ‘James Bond’) portray a gay man.
A brief kiss between two same-sex characters (Alisha Hawthorne and her wife, Kikio) in the Pixar animated film, Lightyear (2022) caused an uproar, and the film was banned in several countries in the OIC (Organization of Islamic Cooperation).
Graphic violence in the film, Chainsaw Massacre (1974) earned it multiple bans across several European countries including Finland and the United Kingdom.
Fifty Shades of Grey (2015) was banned in India, Indonesia, Malaysia, the UAE, Kenya, Papua New Guinea, Cambodia, and parts of Russia for its explicit sexual content, depictions of sexual violence, excessive use of alcohol by a main character and many more reasons. There were also boycotts in the United States.
The Da Vinci Code (2006) was banned for what many religious groups considered blasphemy because of the suggestion that Jesus and Mary Magdalene married and had children. Several groups in the U.S. called for boycotts, and the film was banned in Vatican City, Belarus, Egypt, Lebanon, Jordan, Pakistan, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Sri Lanka, and China.
Source:
https://www.yahoo.com/entertainment/articles/21-inappropriate-movies-were-banned-133102123.html
https://variety.com/2022/film/news/pixar-lightyear-same-sex-kiss-1235209179/