How to Block Social Media Apps Using Zenarmor

Published on: March 12, 2025

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4 min read

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For German Version

Social media has become an integral part of modern life, influencing the way people communicate, share information, and engage with the world. While these platforms offer numerous benefits, they raise concerns regarding productivity, security, and bandwidth usage. Understanding what social media applications are and their impact can help in making informed decisions about blocking them when necessary.

This guide aims to provide a step-by-step approach to blocking social media applications using Zenarmor. Whether you need to restrict access to all social media platforms or only specific ones, this guide will walk you through the necessary configurations and verification steps to ensure effective blocking.

What Are Social Media Applications and What Are They Used For?

Social media applications are digital platforms that enable users to create, share, and interact with content in real-time. These applications serve various purposes, including communication, entertainment, networking, and marketing. Popular social media platforms include Facebook, Instagram, X (formerly Twitter), LinkedIn, Pinterest, TikTok, and Bluesky.

Why Block Social Media Applications?

Social media platforms can introduce security vulnerabilities and productivity challenges in various environments by allowing unauthorized data sharing and reducing overall efficiency. Blocking these applications helps ensure a safe and efficient network by preventing data leaks, reducing distractions, and maintaining compliance with security policies.

Blocking social media platforms may be necessary for several reasons, including security, compliance, and productivity concerns.

Security Risks

Unrestricted access to social media platforms increases the risk of cyber threats, data leaks, and unauthorized access, potentially compromising sensitive information. Below are the key security concerns.

• Data Leakage: Employees or students may share sensitive information on social media platforms, leading to potential data breaches.
• Phishing & Malware Threats: Many social media sites are common targets for cyber threats, including phishing scams and malware distribution.
• Bypassing Security Controls: Some social media apps use encrypted connections, making it harder to monitor traffic effectively.
• Shadow IT Concerns: Unauthorized use of social media for work communication can introduce vulnerabilities into the network.

Productivity Concerns

Excessive social media usage in work or educational settings can distract users, reduce efficiency, and strain network resources by consuming significant bandwidth. Here are some major productivity-related risks.

• Workplace Distractions: Employees spending excessive time on social media during work hours can decrease productivity.
• Bandwidth Consumption: Video streaming, live broadcasts, and media-heavy social platforms can slow down essential business operations.
• Compliance Issues: Some industries require restrictions on unauthorized communication channels to meet regulatory requirements.

Blocking Social Media Applications with Zenarmor

Zenarmor provides an easy way to block social media applications through its advanced filtering capabilities. You can either block all social media applications at once or target specific platforms individually.

Blocking the Entire Social Media Application Category

Zenarmor offers predefined application categories, including "Social Network", which can be blocked entirely. After installing Zenarmor on your BSD-based or Linux-based gateway and completing the initial configuration, you can easily block threats and protect your users by following these steps.

1. Log in to the Zenarmor Dashboard.

2. Navigate to the Policies page on your Zenarmor node.

   Figure 1. Policies Page

3. Click on the policy name, such as Default, that you want to configure. This will open the policy configuration window on the right side of the page.

   Figure 2. Default Policy Configuration

4. Navigate to the App Controls tab on the policy configuration page.

   Figure 3. Default Policy – App Controls

5. Search for "Social Network". You can find the "Social Network" category by scrolling through the list, or you can simply use the search bar to locate it quickly.

   Figure 4. Search for Social Network Category

6. Click on the toggle bar under the Status column to Block the Social Network application category.

   Figure 5. Blocking Social Network App Category

7. Click Apply Changes to activate the settings.

   Figure 6. Applying Changes

Testing and Validating the Block

After completing the blocking process, you can verify whether the social networking applications are successfully restricted. Testing user access to these platforms and reviewing reports will help ensure network security and confirm the effectiveness of the applied policies.

1. On a VM in your lab environment, open a web browser.

2. Attempt to access the blocked instant messaging apps from a test machine. Let’s try to access Facebook.

3. The browser should display a security warning or a "This page is blocked!" message, indicating the connection was blocked. Since the entire category is blocked, the 'Reason' section on this page displays 'Social Network category access' as the blocking reason.

   Figure 7. Facebook is Successfully Blocked

4. Use Reports Charts to monitor blocked Social Network-related traffic. Navigate to the Reports page on your Zenarmor node.

   Figure 8. Reports Page

5. You may see the traffic overview of running applications on App Categories Breakdown and Apps Breakdown charts.

   Figure 9. Viewing App Categories Breakdown and Apps Breakdown Charts

6. You may apply a filter for the blocked app sessions, such as Facebook for our example. Hover your mouse over the Facebook on the Apps Breakdown chart.

7. Click Filter button. This will automatically apply the filter to the charts.

   Figure 10. Applying Filter on Apps Breakdown Chart

8. Check Live Sessions to confirm that the traffic is successfully being denied.

   Figure 11. Viewing Live Sessions for Blocked App

9. By selecting the magnifying glass icon, you can access more comprehensive details.

   Figure 12. Viewing Live Sessions Details

Blocking Specific Social Media Applications

If you need more granular control, Zenarmor allows you to block individual social network applications. Below are the steps to block specific social media platforms individually.

Blocking Instagram

Instagram is one of the most widely used social media platforms. Let's go through the steps required to block access to Instagram.

1. Open the Zenarmor Dashboard and navigate to the Policies page.

2. Click on the policy name, such as Default, that you want to configure. This will open the policy configuration window on the right side of the page.

3. Navigate to the App Controls tab on the policy configuration page.

4. Search for "Social Network". You can find the "Social Network" category by scrolling through the list, or you can simply use the search bar to locate it quickly.

5. There are more than 140 applications under this category, and by clicking on Social Network, you can view the detailed list of these applications. You can either browse through this list to select the application you want to block or use the search bar to find it directly.

   Figure 13. All Social Network Apps

6. Search for the applications you want to block. Let’s use the search bar to block Instagram.

   Figure 14. Blocking App Individually

7. Click Apply Changes to apply the settings.

Blocking X (Twitter)

X (formerly known as Twitter) is one of the most widely used social media platforms. To prevent access to X (Twitter), we need to block it through the Application Control settings.

1. Follow the same steps as above but search for X (Twitter) instead of Instagram.

2. Enable the block option and click Apply Changes to apply the settings.

   Figure 15. Blocking X (Twitter)

Blocking LinkedIn

LinkedIn is a professional networking platform widely used for job searching and business connections. If you want to block access to LinkedIn, follow these steps:

1. Search for LinkedIn in the Application Control list.

2. Enable the Block options and click Apply Changes to save the configuration.

   Figure 16. Blocking Linkedin

Blocking Pinterest

Pinterest is a visual discovery platform where users save and share images and ideas. If you want to block Pinterest, follow these steps.

1. Locate Pinterest under the Application Control tab.

2. Enable block for Pinterest and apply the changes.

   Figure 17. Blocking Pinterest

Blocking TikTok

TikTok is a popular short-form video platform with high user engagement. To block TikTok, follow these steps.

1. Search for TikTok in the Application Control search bar.

2. Toggle the Blocked option and click Apply Changes to enforce the restriction.

   Figure 18. Blocking TikTok

Blocking Bluesky

Bluesky is a decentralized social media platform developed as an alternative to traditional social networks. To prevent access, do the following:

1. Find Bluesky in the Application Control list.

2. Enable the Blocked option and save the settings.

   Figure 19. Blocking Bluesky

Testing and Validating the Block

Confirm that the blocking is successful by checking social media access restrictions and reviewing reports to ensure security and policy enforcement.

1. Try accessing restricted platforms such as Instagram, X(Twitter), Linkedin, Pinterest, Tiktok, or Bluesky.

2. The browser should show a security warning or a 'This page is blocked!' message, indicating that access has been denied. Additionally, when checking the 'Reason' section on this page, you can see that the blocking reason varies for each application."

   Figure 20. Instagram Access Blocked

   Figure 21. X Access Blocked

   Figure 22. Pinterest Access Blocked

   Figure 23. TikTok Access Blocked

   Figure 24. Bluesky Access Blocked

3. Use Reports Charts to monitor blocked Social Network-related traffic. Navigate to the Reports page on your Zenarmor node.

4. You may see the traffic overview of running applications on App Categories Breakdown and Apps Breakdown charts. In the previous steps, we attempted to access Instagram, X (Twitter), LinkedIn, Pinterest, TikTok, and Bluesky to confirm that they were successfully blocked. Since traffic was generated during these attempts, you can now see these applications listed in the tables

   Figure 25. Viewing App Categories Breakdown and Apps Breakdown Charts

5. Use Live Sessions and filter for Blocked traffic to ensure enforcement.

   Figure 26. Viewing Live Sessions for Blocked App

6. By selecting the magnifying glass icon, you can access more comprehensive details.

   Figure 27. Viewing Live Sessions Details

Handling QUIC UDP Connections

Some social media applications, such as Instagram, use a special communication protocol called QUIC UDP. This protocol is designed to make connections faster and more efficient, but it can bypass traditional filtering methods. Even if you block an social media application, it may still work because of QUIC UDP.

To ensure that these applications are completely blocked, you should disable QUIC UDP connections.

By blocking QUIC UDP, you prevent IM applications from using alternative network paths, ensuring that your restrictions are fully effective.

1. In Zenarmor Dashboard, navigate to Policies.

2. Click on the policy name, such as Default, that you want to configure. This will open the policy configuration window on the right side of the page.

3. Go to App Controls.

4. Search for "Quic UDP Connection" and enable Blocked.

   Figure 28. Search for Quic UDP Connection

5. Click Apply changes.

Conclusion

Blocking social media applications using Zenarmor is a straightforward process that can help organizations enhance productivity, optimize bandwidth, and improve security. Whether you need to block all social media platforms or just specific ones, Zenarmor provides the necessary tools to enforce your policies effectively.