Introduction
So you plunk down in front of your PC to get the most recent episode of Sherlock straightforwardly from BBC’s iPlayer. And you see an error message on your screen advising you that the program will only play in the UK.
So for what reason would you say you are impeded? How does the BBC site realize you are not in the UK?
Geo-blocking is the system that restricts your access to the web, given your geographic area.
What is geo-blocking and what are the reasons behind it?
Geo-blocking is a method of limiting your access to some specific websites based on your geographical location. It is most prevalent on OTT platforms like Netflix and BBC. But in some countries it restricts users’ access. Especially to some websites related to social media, online dating sites, news-journalism-related sites, etc.
Generally, the main reasons for imposing geo-blocking are:
- Censorship Issues
- Security and privacy concerns
- Licensing and copyright issues
To understand it better, we can take the example of OTT platforms. For what reason does every country have a different movie/show library?
Positively, not because they can, but because they need to. More original content and in-house produced content is increasing on OTT platforms. But most of the movies and TV series are associated with other third-party production houses which have their own set of rules for broadcasting. So these OTT platforms have to follow their rules if they are streaming their shows or movies. So, to avoid copyright infringement, OTT platforms have to put up a geo-block barrier.
Another reason for setting up geo-blocks comes from the oppressive government regarding the issue of censorship, but many democratic countries use them too.
Working of geo-blocks
Geo-blocking works by following and tracking your IP address (Internet Protocol address). In basic terms, your IP address resembles your genuine location–the geographical location from where you are surfing the web.
- Your PC, mobile phone, and every gadget connected to the internet have IPs, which are given by your ISP (Internet Service Provider). Consequently, your ISP knows where you are, what gadgets you use, where you are accessing the web, and what you do on the web.
- When you simply visit a website or a webpage, on the server-side, they track your IP address. With the help of your IP address, the server will know about the geographical location from where you are accessing the website
- Although your IP address isn’t significant all alone, utilizing specific software, it is possible to follow your online activities easily, tracking which sites you visit and when.
- So, after having your IP on the server-side, website admins apply geo-block on you as they gather information about you from your IP.
Geo-blocking likewise applies when you travel to different countries. Meaning, if you are an Indian visiting the United Kingdom, you will only be able to access the content which is available in the United Kingdom.
Or then again, if you’re Indian, for instance, you can’t utilize torrent sites because of Indian authorized laws.
Method for bypassing geo-blocks:
You can use several methods to bypass geo-blocking. Some of the methods are:
- Using a VPN (recommended)
- Using proxy servers
- Opting for a tor-browser
- Smart DNS/DNS Changers
Here we are going to discuss the most effective way to bypass geo-blocking, which is using a VPN.
The working mechanism of VPN is very easy to understand. In simple terms, your device (smartphone, PC, laptop, tablet, etc) will connect to different remote servers. Also, most VPN services give the option for the user to select the region of their choice from where they wish to connect their device to the remote server. On connecting to a remote server, your device will have a different IP address from which you can surf the internet. For example, if the server to which you are connected is in Sweden, it will appear that you are accessing the internet from Sweden.
Using a VPN is the most effective way to safely bypass geo-blocking. It is because VPNs are generally inexpensive, easy to set up, and compatible with Windows, iOS, Android, and macOS.
Why bypass geo-blocking?
Generally, people use VPN to bypass geo-blocking either to avoid price discrimination or to access websites that are not accessible in a certain region because of censorship induced by the government.
Sometimes, the location from where you are accessing the web can affect the price you have to pay for the service. This is known as price discrimination. It is common and widely practiced in many industries and services, like booking hotels, booking plane tickets, etc. So you can use a VPN to avoid product discrimination. When you use a VPN, the website tracks your masked IP from the remote server. And then gets tricked into getting your original location.
Many websites target their customers from some specific locations by charging them more. So it is advisable to use a VPN in such cases.
Pirate Bay is one of the biggest websites for torrenting and has been facing trouble in over 30 countries. ISPs (Internet Service Providers) from various countries have blocked access to The Pirate Bay. India, Germany, Malaysia, Italy, among others, find it hard to connect to Pirate Bay. This is one of many examples of the government limiting access or just completely putting a ban on internet access. To bypass this censorship induced by the government, a VPN can be used. Also, a VPN will not just help you to bypass geo-blocking but also add an extra layer of security to your data.
So, VPN is an inexpensive and effective tool against geo-blocking and to avoid price discrimination. There are so many good VPNs on the market now. But we suggest you use Digital Dart. It is very easy to set up and also one of the most secure VPNs which uses the OpenVPN protocol. It is lightning fast and has best-in-class encryption. So if you want to beat price discrimination and government-induced censorship on the internet, Digital Dart is the best VPN to continue with.
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