For many of us who aren’t in the know, we simply accept that it is impossible to bypass online censorship. For users, this form of limiting certain content on the internet can be applied in various ways by a country’s internet regulation agencies, which we will discuss in-depth below. Overall, though, geo-restrictions or internet censorship is a serious hit to internet freedom and our right to access the content. This is why millions of people have made the switch to tools and browsers that can bypass this issue.
Thankfully, however, there are now tools that you can purchase and use (or find the free versions) to bypass many, if not all, of these restrictions. What you will need is a network security tool called a virtual private network, popularly known as a VPN.
It is important to note that, before we get into the details, you ensure bypassing censorship is not illegal in your area of residence. Sometimes in authoritarian regimes, if you are caught using a tool to bypass internet blockages, you could land into trouble.
What Is Online Censorship and Why Does It Exist?
On the Internet, censorship is a growing problem. Politics are frequently the cause of this. Some governments don’t want their population to have access to specific news websites or social media platforms, so they block them.
An instrument of oppression is online censorship. You’d be astonished to learn how common internet censorship is given that we typically identify it with repressive governments. Censorship of the internet exists everywhere and may take many different forms.
Websites are prohibited for political and religious reasons in nations like Saudi Arabia. Social media sites are restricted in Russia to keep individuals from accessing independent news sources. In North Korea and Myanmar, the government strictly controls the media, only permitting outlets that have been sanctioned by the government.
The internet is a crucial tool for communicating with the rest of the world for journalists, activists, and ordinary individuals alike. If you came across this post, you’re probably trying to find a method around online censorship. You may achieve this in a variety of ways, some of which are more complex than others.
The use of a virtual private network is one of the simplest ways to get around geographic constraints (VPN). To access websites and services that are otherwise prohibited, a VPN gives you an IP address from a different location.
What types of censorship take place around the world? Well, pretty much anything you can imagine can be censored, particularly services we take for granted. Among these is social media censorship such as Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and the like. Furthermore, communications apps like messaging apps can also be blocked or restricted. Even video content services like YouTube can be blocked altogether.
Furthermore, people experience the blocking of news media outlets, pornographic websites, and even human rights organizations.
A nation’s regulatory bodies can filter and block IP addresses and domains for certain services easily, meaning that ISPs (internet service providers) have to follow suit.
How to Bypass Online Geo-Restrictions
As mentioned earlier, these days you can simply download a VPN to get rid of any geo-restrictions or internet limitations (given that this is not explicitly illegal in your area).
How does a VPN work? Well, the technology itself has been around since the 90s in the form of a tunneling protocol However, these days, because everything is app-based, so are VPNs. A VPN is offered by a VPN company (VPN provider) either for free or in return for a monthly fee. In most cases, you will have a better product if you pay for it (with some exceptions). Some of the big names in premium VPN territory are NordVPN, ExpressVPN, CyberGhost, and a host of others like Surfshark, PIA, Mullvad, and more. The VPN space is continuously growing as newcomers enter the area and try to improve on the competition. This is always healthy!
Simply put, your internet traffic passes through an encrypted VPN tunnel if you’re using a VPN. You use the VPN program to link your device to a distant server so you can access the internet.
Once you’re connected, a different server handles all of your traffic. In this manner, it will appear as though your smartphone is somewhere else entirely.
By using a new IP address, you can get around internet restrictions. Any nation is an option for your server location. Additionally, instead of using your IP address to access the internet, you use the IP address of that VPN server.
ISPs will perceive you as being in the nation you’ve chosen. Social media sites, websites, and other services are unblocked as a result.
Numerous more advantages of a VPN also exist. You can, for example, access a different country’s Netflix collection thanks to the ability to get around limitations. More crucially, VPNs give you online privacy since the IP address of the VPN server that is located somewhere else will hide your own.
This allows for anonymous browsing and provides better cover from inquisitive eyes. VPNs are also excellent security tools. You are less susceptible to malware assaults or phishing schemes since your data is encrypted.
The majority of premium suppliers also include a ton of unique features. A good example is servers that are hidden. The use of a VPN is concealed through obfuscation.
Final Tips and Recommendations
Now that you know how to bypass restrictions with VPN technology, you can browse the internet freely and uphold your right to privacy and security at the same time. Although some believe the end of VPNs may arrive at some point when all of the possible VPN IP addresses are detected, this simply is not true.
A VPN provider can have a practically infinite amount of anonymous servers and, on top of that, new encryption algorithms will make it even more difficult for regulatory bodies to limit internet usage. The use of violence and force is another matter, of course. For that, the best option would be to move to a more flexible country.
