China is a beautiful country with many amazing things to see. But did you know that you won’t be able to check any of your social media while there? It doesn’t stop there, China has the largest internet censorship in the world making it one of the most frustrating countries to visit as a tech-savvy westerner.
The Chinese internet censorship, also known as the Great Firewall of China, is their current method of preventing ‘foreign internet’ access among its citizens. However, even though you might not be a Chinese citizen, if you are using Chinese internet you will still fall under the same censorship law. It has gotten so bad that you can even be fined on a personal level up to $150 for being caught trying to bypass the censorship.
So how are people bypassing the censorship? With VPNs. Virtual Private Networks (VPNs) are very popular nowadays. Not only can they be used to improve your internet security, amerikaanse netflix kijken in Nederland, and get cheaper rates when purchasing online, they also allow you to get around the Great Firewall of China.
The Great Firewall of China is applicable to anyone connecting to the internet from China. If you want to get around the censorship, you are going to have to leave China – or at least trick the Chinese censorship into thinking you are. VPNs work by allowing you to change your location to one of many servers worldwide. So, if you’re in China and want to leave the country digitally, all you’re going to need is a VPN.
Open your VPN, choose a server – any country outside China will work, and connect to the internet. Now it no longer looks like you are surfing the Post from China and, therefore, their censorship will no longer apply to you. It’s as simple as that. Now you will have access to all your favourite online content, including Facebook, Twitter, Youtube, Redditt, The Washington ost, and much more.
The only downside about using a VPN is that it is illegal. The Chinese government has made it an offence to try and connect to ‘foreign internet’ from inside their country. That being said, China is still one of the world’s largest VPN markets and using one is the only way to stay up to date with your family, friends, and Western news.
When choosing a VPN, make sure you go for one that is maintained by a reliable development team. Big names like TunnelBear, PureVPN, and TorGuard are all examples of well-established VPNs. It’s better to use one of these companies because you can be confident that their servers will always work. Remember, the Chinese government is actively working to detect VPNs and prevent access to ‘foreign internet’, so the VPN companies need to work twice as hard to make sure that their servers always stay one step ahead. While you’re at it, make sure the internet speeds are up to scratch. Imagine trying to watch YouTube videos or netflix amerika kijken while in China and the internet is constantly buffering.
