Geoblocking is the practice of restricting or blocking internet content based on your geographic location. This usually means restricting content based on which country you are in, and is most commonly associated with media streaming services such as Netflix. In this article, we discuss why streaming services geoblock content and how they do it.  Why […]

In this article, we discuss DNS — what it is, how it works, and how it impacts online privacy and censorship. All devices that connect directly to the internet are identified by a numerical label known as an IP address. To help make things easier for us humans, this address can also be identified using […]

WireGuard® is a new VPN protocol used to secure the connection between your device and a VPN server.  Learn more about how VPNs work WireGuard uses state-of-the-art cryptography to keep your connection secure and is extremely lightweight. This makes it faster than traditional VPN protocols such as OpenVPN and IKEv2, especially on lower-end hardware. Originally […]

A VPN protocol is the set of instructions that your VPN app uses to set up, secure, and govern your connection to a VPN server. OpenVPN is a VPN protocol that has no known weaknesses and is effective at bypassing certain online censorship methods. OpenVPN also has the advantage of being supported on a huge […]

Third-party cookies provide an invasive way for websites to track what you do online. In this article, we look at what they are, how they work, and how you can block them on all major browsers.  Find out which browsers are best for your privacy If you want to keep your online activity private, a […]

China is infamous for its internet censorship program, widely known as the Great Firewall of China (GFW).   In this article, we look at what the GFW is and how it prevents citizens of mainland China from accessing the free and open internet. What is the great firewall of China? Since 1998, the government of mainland […]

Deep packet inspection (DPI) is a method of examining data packets that pass through a network so that the traffic type can be identified. This information can then be used to block unwanted traffic.  The technique is commonly used in firewalls, intrusion detection systems, and other network security systems. Unfortunately, the same analysis techniques used […]

A VPN allows you to access Instagram, whether you live in a country where the internet is censored or just want to distract yourself with your favorite influencers’ photos at work.   Instagram is a wildly popular social networking platform that emphasizes sharing photos and videos. It’s owned by Meta, the umbrella company that also owns […]

A virtual private network (VPN) is an essential tool for maintaining your privacy when using the internet. It connects your device to a VPN server, which is run by a VPN provider (such as Proton VPN).  These typically operate many servers located around the world (Proton VPN runs over 1900 VPN exit points in over 65 […]