Abroad, you can’t access your favorite sites because of censorship? Here is why and primarily how to circumvent censorship on the Internet.
When traveling abroad, you may not be able to access your favorite websites or specific social networks. Several reasons for this:
Countries practicing censorship on the Internet
The country practices some censorship on the Internet. This is the case in countries such as China, Iran, and Cuba. For example, in Iran, it is impossible to access Facebook and many other websites. However, we can also talk about Vietnam or Turkey.
The extent of this censorship varies from country to country. Here is a map showing the extent of this practice around the world. It was established by RSF a few years ago:
In short, it is painful if you want to keep in touch with your loved ones. Sometimes even your email can be blocked. The same goes for Skype.
Sites blocked by a local provider.
Not to mention censorship, it is possible that your site is inaccessible from the country where you are. This has happened to me several times during my travels. I remember Guatemala in particular, where I could not access my blog. Which was annoying, because it was impossible for me to work on.
In this case, it was the local provider that had blocked my server IP, for some obscure reason. Indeed, I was probably not targeted because you should know that if your site is hosted on a shared server, which is usually the case, your IP address is similar to hundreds of others. However, it is enough for one host to block the IP of a particular site for all the others to be as inaccessible.
What can be done against Internet censorship abroad?
Simple, the most practical solution is to use a VPN when traveling.
What is a VPN?
In general, it is a small program to download and which, once activated, will offer you an encrypted connection between your computer or smartphone and a server located in a censor-free area.
If you are in Iran for example, by activating your VPN, you will connect to an IP in France for example. It’s like surfing while you’re in France, so no problem!
The advantages of using a VPN are not limited to Internet censorship:
You can surf anonymously.
Your data is encrypted. So you can surf safely.
Without necessarily being in a country practicing censorship on the Internet, a VPN allows several things when traveling:
You are at the airport and need to check your bank accounts? As you know, in general, the wifi offered by airports is public. A hacker or a fraudster can, therefore, intercept your data. Risky. With a VPN, no problem!
You can also save money by finding cheaper hotels and plane tickets. Indeed, prices vary according to location.
Which VPN to choose?
There are a large number of free VPNs. The problem is that these VPNs have advertising and are limited in connection time and speed.
With a paid VPN, no time and data limitation. The comfort is there and the quick connection. For a fee, it is only a few euros per month.
