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Unblock Syria

Kobo

Kobo works in Syria, but not all of it, as of .

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E-reader devices and digital bookstore for ebooks and audiobooks

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High-vote services get prioritized for outreach

What works

Each part of the service, checked from Syria.

Core useWorks

From a Syrian connection, Kobo's storefront loaded and a book's product page opened normally, with browsing and adding an item to the cart working.

Landing pageWorks

Kobo's website loaded fully from Syria, including navigation, search and account menus.

Sign-upWorks

The same Syrian test reported successfully creating a Kobo account while proceeding to checkout; no screenshot of that step was captured.

Sign-inNot checked
PaymentFails

Checkout from Syria redirected to Kobo's sanctioned-countries page, refusing the purchase with a message that purchases from the user's country, as indicated by billing information, are not supported.

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Need Help with Kobo?

If you're experiencing issues accessing Kobo in Syria, you can reach out to their support team directly.

Support Page

Work at Rakuten? Know someone who does?

Sanctions are lifted. Most companies just haven't updated their policies. A word from inside Rakuten can change that.

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Tips for advocating

  • Reach out to legal, compliance, or policy teams.
  • Reference the lifted sanctions.
  • Point to competitors who have already unblocked Syria.

Frequently Asked Questions

Partly. The core use of Kobo works in Syria, but something else about it fails or has not been checked. This page lists what works and what does not.

Many international services blocked access to Syria due to previous sanctions and compliance policies. Even as sanctions are being reviewed, some companies have not yet restored access. Unblock Syria tracks these services and advocates for change.

You can help by voting on this page to show demand, sharing it on social media, and contacting Kobo directly to request they restore access for Syrian users.