Have you ever tried to access a website or watch a video only to see that it’s unavailable in your region? Then you’ve experienced geo-blocking.
Geo-blocking exists for various reasons, including licensing agreements and internet censorship. For example, streaming services like Netflix and Hulu license the content they offer for online streaming. These licensing agreements determine which regions can access specific content.
This article will explain what geo-blocking is and how you can bypass geo-blocks.
Why Geo Blocking?
Geo-blocking is the process of restricting access to internet content based on location.
Let’s say you were an American on holiday in Thailand. And you’re a paying subscriber of the music streaming service Pandora. When you log in to the app to listen to your favorite playlist, you receive a message that Pandora is unavailable in your country. This is geo-blocking.
Why Is Geo Blocking A Thing?
Streaming platforms, websites, and many other organizations use geo-blocking for the following reasons:
Protecting licensed content
Streaming platforms like Netflix and Hulu only own the original content they produce. If they want to offer additional content to their viewers, they have to negotiate a deal with the content copyright holders. These deals often include locations where the content can be used and distributed. Streaming services must use geo-blocks to meet the requirements of the licensing agreements.
Content-market fit
Content market fit is a situation where your content meets the needs of your target audience. For example, some movies may be available on Netflix South Africa but not on Netflix USA because they’re only relevant in the South Africa region. Geo-blocks can also be used to promote a movie. For example, when a movie premiers in one market, anticipation builds among fans in other markets where it’s yet to be released.
Dynamic pricing
Some streaming services charge different prices for the same product. For example, the cost of signing up for Netflix in Turkey can be cheaper compared to the US. So people living in the US would have to pay more to access Netflix content due to their location.
Examples of geo-blocking
Netflix
Even though Netflix is available in almost every country, each country’s Netflix library is unique. The libraries are different because of locally produced content and licensing agreements by copyright holders of the content. Some licensing agreements may permit Netflix to stream its content only in specific regions.
Data protection laws
Websites that don’t follow the data protection laws of a region may get geo-blocked. For example, websites that didn’t comply with the GDPR when it came into effect in the European Union became unavailable in GDPR countries.
How to bypass geo blocking
There are many ways to unlock region restrictions and access your favorite content.
VPNs
A Virtual Private Network (VPN) hides your IP address and replaces it with one from another location of your choosing. For example, if you were in Thailand and you wanted to access a music playlist on Pandora, you’d connect to a USA VPN. So Pandora would assume you’re browsing from the US and give you access, even though you’re actually in Thailand.
VPNs are the most-used way to bypass geo-blocks. However, not all VPNs are first-rate. Many low-quality VPNs have few IP addresses. So it’s common to find a situation where many people are accessing a website using the same IP address. When this happens, the website owners can blacklist that IP address.
High-quality VPNs have plenty of IP addresses, and you’ll rarely get blacklisted by the website you’re trying to access.
Proxy servers
A proxy server acts on your behalf to get the information you’re looking for. Any request you send over the internet first goes through the proxy. If your proxy server is located in another country, you can use it to go around a geo-block.
Tor browser
The Tor browser is another way to get past a geo-block. It involves using the Tor network, which uses “onion routing” to hide your IP address. Onion routing is when multiple layers of encryption conceal the source and destination of the information you’re trying to access.
Conclusion
Geo-blocking is the process of restricting access to internet content based on location. Many companies and organizations use geo-blocks for various reasons. For example, streaming services like Netflix use geo-blocking because of licensing agreements. And the European Union restricts access to websites that don’t comply with data protection laws. But there are many ways to bypass geo-blocks, such as VPNs, Proxy servers, and Tor Browsing.
