Most of us don’t bat an eye at freely expressing our political, religious, or general views online. And yet, parts of the world still exist where going against the grain in such matters results in harsh and cruel punishment. How can freedom fighters, activists, journalists, and truth seekers under such regimes’ thumbs access outside information and safely communicate with like-minded individuals?
In this article, you’ll discover more about internet censorship, its goals, and how you can avoid it.
What Is Internet Censorship & Why Does It Happen?
Internet censorship is an intentional act, usually by individual countries, to restrict access to or outright block content. Which type of content this affects depends on the censor. However, most countries cite moral, religious, or societal reasons as valid for engaging in the practice.
The goals of internet censorship also vary. For example, it’s illegal to defame members of the Thai royal family, so local censors crack down on content that does so. Russia is censoring Western media outlets and discouraging their presence on its soil. Domestic news sources that don’t toe the party line are also at risk.
China has one of the most comprehensive internet censorship systems. They identify and block outside traffic, use DNS tampering, and employ numerous individuals who censor content manually. This effectively prevents people from speaking out against the ruling party or getting exposed to Western Ideas, which the government sees as corrupting.
The unique combination of heavy censorship and surveillance makes accessing forbidden content in China even trickier. The authorities monitor and collect swathes of data on Chinese citizens. Yet, it’s still not clear what activities or opinions qualify as dissenting behavior.
What Exactly Gets Censored?
Again, this depends. For example, many Muslim countries have a strong stance against immoral and indecent behavior. This can manifest as banning everything from pornographic websites to ones that offer unsuitable media or even clothing.
YouTube, Instagram, Facebook, and X have the dubious honor of receiving bans in most countries. X and Facebook are particularly dangerous for authoritative governments since they make organizing easy for dissidents.
Western media is another favorite due to its generally unfavorable depiction of repressive regimes. Finally, messaging apps like WhatsApp are also under fire since they provide encrypted communication that censors can’t easily get their hands on.
Are There Ways to Bypass Internet Censorship?
Fortunately for activists, journalists, and citizens, it’s possible to circumvent most censorship measures, even the great firewall. Here are the most popular ones.
VPN
VPNs or Virtual Private Networks should be your go-to solution when battling internet censorship. They’re easy to grasp for non-technical users and don’t visibly slow your internet connection down. Most importantly, VPNs are both safe and effective at censorship circumvention. For example, that’s why VPN for China, has been one of the safest tools to bypass previously mentioned censorship.
A VPN routes your connection to servers outside a repressive country. Internet service providers are the primary internet censorship enforcers since they monitor and block traffic seen as suspicious or undesirable. The VPN uses an encrypted connection, meaning ISPs can’t detect the sites you’re accessing. No local restrictions apply since you’re doing so via a foreign server with a foreign IP.
Some VPNs even have advanced features like obfuscated servers. These make detecting the fact you’re using a VPN exponentially harder.
Proxies
Proxies are similar to VPNs in that they use a series of servers to route your connection. They’re browser-based, while VPNs protect your entire connection. Proxies may let you access restricted content, but they won’t encrypt the connection, and free ones are unreliable.
Tor
The Onion Router is another popular method of tackling censorship. It uses a network of volunteer-driven servers to envelop traffic in multiple encryption layers. It’s great for security and anonymity but noticeably slower than the alternatives.
Other approaches
You may also reach the content you need by being creative. For example, a website whose URL doesn’t work may become accessible if you use its IP address instead. Cached websites often let you bypass paid and display censored content alike. Similarly, mirrored websites and archives like the Wayback Machine may store unrestricted website copies.
What to Look for in a VPN to Successfully Thwart Internet Censorship?
As VPNs are the best solution for the broadest user base, you should consider their features carefully. Security is paramount when trying to bypass online censorship. Your VPN of choice must use the highest encryption standards and employ advanced anti-detection features like obfuscated servers.
Some VPNs throttle your internet speed, so look for one with few slowdowns and high uptimes. A good approach is to search for one with servers in neighboring countries. These should have the least impact on internet speeds.
You’ll naturally want to see testimonials, too. The right one will boast testimonials from real users praising the VPN’s ability to deal with online censorship measures. VPNs with a good track record and employ state-of-the-art technologies aren’t free, but finding a fairly priced, reliable option isn’t hard. A useful source for seeing this and many more metrics is the VPN comparison table on Reddit.
Conclusion
It’s becoming increasingly challenging to reach truthful, unbiased information and communicate with the outside world from inside regimes that don’t see freedom of speech as a fundamental right. Even so, there are ways of countering even the most stubborn repressive measures.
