The internet is a magical place where you can freely explore different topics, share your life on social media, or just sit back and relax with streaming platforms like Netflix. At least, that’s what most people around the world think. Unfortunately, it turns out that the internet does not always mean complete freedom anywhere and everywhere — there are some exceptions!
Several countries around the world use internet censorship to block specific websites and content from being accessed within their borders. It’s frustrating for many people, especially those who are visiting the country as tourists. Imagine flying to a country, snapping some incredible photos, and being unable to share them with your friends and family on social media — unfortunately, that’s the reality for many people! Internet censorship will block any device from accessing content within a country’s borders, and there is only one way to get out of this digital prison.
What you need is a powerful cybersecurity tool known as a virtual private network (VPN). VPNs allow you to bypass internet censorship, but there are some important guidelines you need to keep in mind if you’re going to use a VPN to bypass the internet censorship in a foreign country. Keep reading to find out how to keep accessing your favorite websites even if you’re abroad!
Why Does Internet Censorship Exist?
If you haven’t traveled abroad before you’re probably unfamiliar with the whole internet censorship concept. There are some countries around the world where the government blocks anyone within their borders from accessing specific content or websites on the internet. The websites can range from foreign news websites to explicit content, and sometimes even social media websites! That’s why there is no true freedom on the internet.
The reasons behind blocking websites vary from one country to another, but the majority of governments block content either for religious or political reasons. For example, in the Middle East, countries will block explicit and anti-Islamic content from being accessed within their borders because it’s very much against the region’s religion to promote this type of content. They remove this content from their residents by using internet censorship — that will affect you as well, even if you’re just visiting the country.
Other countries like China are strict on entirely different websites. China uses internet censorship for political reasons. The ruling party will block any content that paints them in a negative light. This can include foreign news websites and even some local websites that are against the government. In China, you can’t even access social media platforms like Facebook and Instagram without using a VPN. That’s because the government opposition used social media platforms to coordinate protests and attacks against the government on top of promoting messages that undermined their authority.
Some Google services are also blocked in China because of unwanted political news, images, and videos being leaked on the search engine. If you’re in China without a VPN, you can only use Google Maps and the translation function.
Internet censorship is frustrating for tourists who want to explore these countries and enjoy themselves while benefiting from the internet. The only way to get past strict internet censorship laws is by using a VPN.
How to Use a VPN
VPNs are cybersecurity tools that encrypt your internet connection and allow you to browse the internet anonymously. You can explore the web without having to worry about government surveillance, cybercriminals, or an internet service provider tracking your browsing history and monitoring your internet traffic. Everything you do on your device is hidden!
VPNs also have secure global servers all around the world that you can connect to. By connecting to one of these servers, your device’s IP address will be hidden from any websites that you visit, and anyone else that’s looking into your online activity. An IP address is a unique identifier, and one of its main roles is to pinpoint your device’s geographic location. That’s how websites know which ads and marketing to send you, or which shops Google needs to recommend based on your location.
Once you’re connected to a server in another country or city around the world, your internet traffic is routed through the server, which makes it appear as if your device is accessing the internet from the same location as the VPN server. For example, you might physically be in China, but you can trick anyone into thinking you’re in the United States by connecting to the U.S. VPN server and spoofing your location.
VPNs are incredibly easy to use, and they can run in the background of your device. All you need to do is find the VPN provider of your choice, visit their website or find the app on your preferred app store, and install the VPN. From there you just need to create an account, connect to a server in another country, and away you go!
Challenges to Expect With VPNs
VPN software is incredibly powerful, as long as you use it correctly! The most important thing to keep in mind is that you need to choose the right VPN. There are hundreds of VPN providers on the market, and each VPN is created uniquely.
The golden rule of choosing a VPN for your device is to always use a premium VPN. Free VPNs are readily available, but they will let you down, especially when you’re traveling abroad to a country that employs internet censorship. Free VPNs come with a ton of baggage including slow connection speeds, a small list of foreign secure servers, weaker encryption technology, obstructive ads, and much more.
The problem is that once you’re within the country’s borders, you can’t access any websites that allow you to install a VPN on your device. In other words, if your free VPN doesn’t work, then you’re stuck without a tool to bypass internet censorship. That being said, always make sure to install and test your VPN before you travel to the country to ensure that you can use the VPN once you have arrived.
