The online world might be giving endless possibilities to have fun and express yourself, but there are limitations imposed by some authorities that mark the end of it. Sometimes, such censorship is caused by genuine care, as when parents restrict access to certain websites, and sometimes, it’s simply a sign of power. As an Internet user, can you do something about Internet censorship, and if so, how to bypass it?
What is censored and how?
Internet censorship can look differently, depending on what is to be censored and for what reason. It is obvious that sometimes access to certain content is limited in given circumstances, for example, at school or a workplace. However, quite often the platforms that are censored are unavailable to the whole country because of certain laws and governmental restrictions. This type of censorship is common in dictatorships, where the ruler tries to control people and limit their access to information or even entertainment. Prohibiting online content is also common in places where religious dogmas play a vital role in everyday life. Among the most popular platforms that are subjected to restrictions are the ones offering pornography, torrenting, news, and also social media, and foreign platforms.
Ways to avoid internet censorship
Although Internet censorship might be a powerful tool to control people, there are some effective ways to bypass such restrictions. Luckily, many of these methods are easily available to all Internet users. The majority of them are not free, but they ensure access to almost any content online and, what’s more, secure the users from various online threats. What are the most popular and effective ways to bypass Internet censorship?
VPN
One of the most popular and practical programs offered on the market are the VPN services. Currently, the possibility to choose a service provider that will ensure the best options and the highest level of safety is not a challenge as the competition in this field is strong. What are the VPN services? In a nutshell, they ensure anonymity and safety, but most importantly, they hide the IP address, which makes it impossible for certain websites to track down your location. Internet censorship works in such a way that it blocks content for the users in a certain location. The users are located by nothing else but the IP address, which is unique for every device that connects with the Net.
People all over the world use VPN services for various reasons. Some of them wish to bypass censorship because they live in a place where there is no freedom, others simply seek entertainment that might be illegal in their country, such as gambling. Some countries ban all forms of gambling, even online forms, like in the case of online casinos in Bahrain. It does not mean that such platforms with this form of entertainment are wrong or suspicious. Websites such as Arabianbetting are completely safe, but if you are a user from a country where betting is illegal, you need a VPN service to safely play and win.
Proxy
Proxies work more or less like VPNs and they allow users to reach restricted websites. The downside of using proxies is that they are not as reliable as VPN services. They might work only with specific programs. Why are they still used then? Using a proxy when you need to quickly access a given website that is restricted in your area might be the best option if you are not a user of a VPN. Proxies are also free, but they might include various ads, as they have to somehow work. The other downside is that sometimes the proxy website itself might be restricted in a given area, so there are no other possibilities to bypass censorship left.
Tor
Some users secure their browsers by using Tor, which, too, in a way is similar to VPN. It hides the IP address of a user and clears cookies, the activities of a user are encrypted, and, generally, they can reach almost any restricted platform. However, it’s important to remember that only a VPN secures your data, so if you are unsure of a given website, don’t try to access it with other methods.
