Is your employer or institution censoring the websites that you can access? In some countries, governments routinely block access to certain sites. Most recently, Uganda shut down social media sites during the 2016 general election. There are a number of ways to access blocked, restricted or censored websites depending on the method used.
Unblock with Proxy
This is the easiest way to unblock a site that has been blocked using the most common method, IP blocking. A proxy website fetches the website for you and displays it. So, the Internet server can only see the IP address of the proxy and not the actual site you are visiting. For a list of free proxies, see our list of free proxy websites.
However, employers and educational institutions are always on the look our for these proxy sites and block their IP addresses as well. These lists of blocked sites are continuous updated by system admins. There are also many other methods used to censor/block website access such as; URL filtering, DNS filtering and redirection, packet filtering, Man-in-the-middle attacks (MITM) and Deep Packet Inspection (DPI).
Beat Censorship with the Tor Browser Bundle
If you own your own computer or mobile phone, you can beat most forms of Internet censorship by simply installing the Tor Browser Bundle. The Tor website states that, “Tor protects you by bouncing your communications around a distributed network of relays run by volunteers all around the world: it prevents somebody watching your Internet connection from learning what sites you visit, and it prevents the sites you visit from learning your physical location.”
The mobile version for Android phones can be downloaded from the Google Play Store. Install and access any site you want anonymously.
Tips and Warnings
- Proxy sites and the Tor Browser will slow down your browsing speed slightly.
- Do not use any of these methods to visit sites that are banned at your place of work or school. Doing so could lead to your dismissal or expulsion.
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