Blocking access to websites or online censorship has been a viral trend spreading from one country to the next. It has become a very frustrating issue for the majority of internet users around the world and considers most types of online censorship a violation to human rights (freedom of access to information). There are numerous types of online censorship and all types differ in many ways.
Types of Online Censorship
Government Online Censorship
This is the most common type of online censorship in which the governments in certain countries ban access to several online websites for different reasons:
Political
In this case the government bans any website that promotes an opposing view or any form of criticism to the regime. These bans could be on individual political websites or even reach the extent of banning all social networking websites (Facebook, Twitter, etc.) and justifying this by stating that these websites pose a threat to national security. These restrictions can be found in Iran, China, North Korea, Russia, India, and several other countries around the world.
Religious
Some countries (like Saudi Arabia and Iran) have extremely strict religious rules and for that reason they ban any websites that contain contents that are forbidden in their religions (for example pornography and gambling websites).
Geo-Restrictions
Some websites block access to them from anywhere outside of their locations (e.g. Netflix can only be accessed from within US) even if the person trying to access is a paying subscriber. This is referred to as geo-restriction.
Companies Online Censorship
Most of the large companies around the world like to keep a tight network when it comes to their employees’ online accessibility. They restrict their employees from accessing websites that they see either not relevant to the business or can pose an online threat to the company’s computers (viruses, malwares, etc.)
Schools and Colleges Online Censorship
This type of online censorship is placed in some schools and colleges for the same reason of that online censorship placed in companies.
How to Bypass Online Censorship
The most reliable method of bypassing most online censorship is by using a reliable VPN. One of the main purposes of a VPN is that it allows its users to connect to any of its multiple servers around the world and outside of the restriction zone, hence bypassing the restriction. In addition to that, a VPN encrypts all data transmitted between its users and its servers and so keeping the online activities of its users secure and private.
Accordingly when choosing a suitable VPN to bypass online censorship we need to focus on 2 main features; the network of servers operated by the VPN provider and the level of security provided (encryption used and security protocols supported). Based on these search criteria we were able to shortlist the top 3 VPNs for bypassing online censorship.
Best VPNs for Bypassing Online Censorship
NordVPN
NordVPN is a Panama based VPN provider that started operating in 2012 providing its users with both standard and customized VPN solutions. In a short period it grew to become a very popular name in the VPN market. Its strong security and privacy measures are what made it one of the highly recommended VPNs for bypassing online censorship.
Level of Security
- Network secured with an AES 256-bit SHA encryption
- Multiple advanced security protocols supported (OpenVPN, L2TP/IPSec, PPTP, SSTP, and IKEv2)
- Additional security features include Double Data Encryption, Automatic Kill Switch, DNS Leak Resolver, and Onion over VPN.
Network of Servers
- Network consists of over 1000 servers spread across 59 countries worldwide.
- This includes both servers outside of the countries with high levels of online censorship and countries with websites that place geo-restrictions.
IPVanish
IPVanish is considered to be one of the most trusted VPN providers among its competitors. It has never failed to impress in any challenge that came its way. It has the most advanced features when it comes to security and privacy. This is why it has easily ranked as one of the highly recommended VPNs for bypassing online censorship.
Level of Security
- Network is secured with a 256-bit AES encryption
- Multiple security protocols supported (OpenVPN, L2TP/IPSec, PPTP, and IKEv2)
Network of Servers
- Network consists of more than 750 servers spread across more than 60 countries worldwide.
- This network provides users with countless options to choose from among servers in order to bypass any online censorship or geo-restrictions.
BVPN
Based in the Netherlands, BVPN has been operating since 2014. In a very short time it has proved itself as one of the strongest VPN providers when it came to online security and privacy. It clearly shows a very bright future as it has ranked very high in several occasions before. It is surely safe to say that BVPN is a highly considerable VPN provider for bypassing any online censorship.
Level of Security
- Entire network is secured with a military grade 256-bit encryption.
- Multiple advanced and unique security protocols supported (OpenVPN with UDP/TCP, L2TP/IPSec, SSTP, and its very own Smoke Tunnel).
- Additional security features include Internet Kill Switch, WiFi protection, and IPv6 Leak Protection.
Network of Servers
- The BVPN network consists of servers in over 20 worldwide locations.
- This might not seem like a large number, however these servers are strategically placed to the extent that they provide the same level of efficiency and reliability as larger networks
Conclusion
Online censorship come in many forms and can sometimes cause a huge inconvenience for internet users. Banning the access to websites that are already available online is considered a violation of human rights (the right of information access). Regarding geo-restrictions, if a person is properly subscribed to a service he/she should be able to access this service from anywhere in the world. For these reasons and more the use of VPNs has been rising rapidly. It is important for all internet users to acquire reliable VPNs to bypass any online censorship that comes their way.
