Imagine you want to watch a particular movie because it's trending online or play games with someone you know from the internet, but you suddenly get a message 'This content is not available in your country.' This incident happens because of geo-blocking, and it's completely legal. Here's the gist: you can avoid geo-blocking because bypassing it is also permitted with the best VPN solutions.
What Is Geo-blocking?
Geo-blocking, as the term implies, means blocking or restricting access to material and services depending on your location. Services do this by keeping track of your IP address and where you're checking in. They will then permit or refuse access to specific sites.
Much of it concerns licensing, copyrights, and some red tape involving jurisdiction. Some common examples include gambling websites restricting access to areas where they do not operate. Streaming platforms can also restrict portions of their material to specific areas, or a vast online shop may have pricing only available in particular locations.
What does geo-blocking do?
As we all know, an IP address works like a home address since it reveals your location. Once you visit a website, you allow the server to access your IP address, so the server knows where to distribute the requested material. This IP address is the only thing geo-blocking needs.
To be more precise, some companies geo-blocks using specialized software which can determine the exact geographical position of your device. The software installed by website administrators then employs geo-blocking based on this data alone.
Geo-blocking is legal, particularly when accessing streaming services and materials under licensing agreements. So you can't just notify your internet service provider to get the restriction lifted.
How Effective Is Geo-blocking?
Geo-blocking is effective for businesses in restricting traffic from a particular region. Recall that companies prefer to geo-block their digital material for licensing and copyright reasons, where region-based digital rights control plays an important role. Certain license agreements can prohibit you from distributing digital work in some geographical regions.
But besides geo-blocking efforts, there are ways to access the free and open internet. A VPN is the most efficient solution to sidestep geo-blocking in a safe and controlled manner. VPN accomplishes this by creating a secure link between you and the internet. All of your data traffic is sent over an encrypted tunnel while using one. Meaning it conceals your IP address and replaces it with one from another country, so you can avoid companies or platforms that geo-blocks.
However, note that a decent VPN service should have a strict no-logs policy, solid encryption, and fast speeds. You can find our top 3 able to provide you with all of these capabilities and more-starting with Surfshark.
#1 Surfshark VPN
Surfshark VPN conceals your IP address and the sensitive data you send and receive. With 3200+ servers in 100 countries, you can refer to this solution to access the geo-blocked material of your choosing. It employs a Kill Switch to ensure your internet traffic is not exposed if your connection to a VPN server fails. Surfshark ensures the privacy of your data by never logging critical information. These features include military-grade encryption, new protocols, and 100AM-only servers.
Even if you use a VPN, certain companies can still track you down, which eventually leads to geo-blocking. But Surfshark prevents you from sitting with the same IP address for too long. Its IP rotator allows you to change your IP address without disconnecting from the VPN. You're tougher to monitor, and your VPN experience increases.
#2 NordVPN
Because of its wealth of critical features, NordVPN can compete with most VPN companies. With its high-speed connection, you can easily watch and access geo-restricted materials. Aside from geo-blocks, this solution will not be an issue if you're concerned about security.
NordVPN is one of those astute VPN companies that does not keep logs of your behavior, so you can be sure that nothing gets recorded. Additionally, if you use NordVPN, you can be confident that no one will expose your online profile to third parties or malicious hackers.
#3 ExpressVPN
ExpressVPN, with its rapid and excellent service, is one of the best top picks to bypass geo-blocks. Because of its large number of servers, it is ideal for circumventing geo-restricted content, which means that all customers, wherever they are, can readily access geo-blocked materials.
Besides, ExpressVPN has a kill switch to protect you from having your identity disclosed to hackers or authorities. Out of all the available options, it's not the cheapest, but the service provided in exchange for the higher price is worth it. With a twelve-month membership plan, it remains reasonably priced in going against services that geo-blocks.
The main takeaway is that accessing content considered 'restricted' from where you are is hassling enough. So much for free internet, right? Thankfully, there are VPNs to help you out if you want to bypass geo-blocking and access any material on the internet. They are quick and simple to use and dependable, allowing you to watch films or play games without interruption.
