Because most democratic and developed nations have unlimited access to the internet, such digital freedom usually gets underappreciated and taken for granted.
The most underprivileged nations online get censored by their own countries on the internet, and in some cases, even companies block content for these users.
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| Analysis of Underprivileged Nations Online:eAskme |
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Understanding the ways and the motives behind these censorships helps us find the best solutions to bring an uncensored internet to everyone.
With a proxy server IP located in one of these countries, we can experience the censored internet ourselves.
A China proxy is sometimes used to explore the local web and to test out Great Firewall (GFW).
You can learn more about China proxies from Smartproxy - a reliable residential proxy provider.
For now, let's explore the countries with underprivileged access to the internet.
North Korea
With Supreme Leader Kim Jong Un in power since December 2011, North Korea remains one of the worst countries for freedom.
Nearly all the content of North Korea's newspapers and other media comes from the official Korean Central News Agency, which primarily focuses on building the leader's cult of personality, patriotism, and hatred of the West.
North Koreans only receive alternative information from foreign radio signals, TV, and foreign smuggled DVDs from China.
The common people in North Korea do not have any access to the internet. The web we know and love today is only available to elite party officials.
As an alternative, some political institutions and a few schools can use an intranet called Kwangmyong.
That being said, foreigners can access the internet using the 3G phone network with special authorization.
Despite all of the limitations, the IT industry has been growing, and internet access in North Korea is on the rise.
Still, it is anything but free or safe. Ullim - The North Korean adaptation of an Android-based tablet has been available since 2014, and it has an absurd level of inbuilt surveillance and controls.
To keep a watchful eye on all its users, the computer takes screenshots of apps opened by the user and saves their browsing history.
Cell phones are banned in North Korea. Due to such strict limitations, citizens keep getting their hands on smuggled phones that depend on Chinese cell towers.
North Korea is infamous for a human rights record that is the worst in the world.
Most international human rights organizations consider North Korea as the worst offender concerning violations of liberty.
Its internet presence is almost non-existent, and the government takes every necessary step to maximize the effect of a state-driven propaganda machine.
China
When we talk about underprivileged nations online, China is the first country that comes to mind. It has the second largest population of people without access to the internet.
Still, even if we ignore the 582 million people offline, China's internet is full of censorship and surveillance.
Chinese Communist Party (CCP) shows no effort to hide its agenda.
Both the internet and media outlets exist to support the CCP and its unilateral rule.
China is among the top 3 jailers of journalists around the world, and every source of information is swarmed with censorship and surveillance.
The Great Firewall is the main tool for domestic internet regulation in CHINA. It blocks access to popular websites with foreign information sources, internet tools, search engines, social media platforms, and mobile apps.
Speaking of the other side of the fence, foreigners that visit China need a license for a VPN or a proxy to bypass the GFW.
Still, such a crime is only punishable by fine, and no foreigners were ever forced to pay it.
Even careful Chinese citizens can sometimes find ways to bypass restrictions with a simple VPN or a proxy.
A deeper look at geo-blocking and censorship
Even if you live in a country with a high level of internet freedom, your experience on the web will differ from other users worldwide.
While authoritarian governments censor unwanted services that may pose a threat to the regime, private companies in democratic countries may choose to block users from different locations from entering their websites.
Geo-blocking might look like a threat to internet freedom, but in some cases, it is beneficial and even necessary.
Popular online shops with large amounts of traffic can geo-block visitors from locations where they do not ship their products.
This preventive measure helps minimize irrelevant traffic. Some businesses have to use geo-blocking due to economic sanctions.
Some websites take geo-blocking to absurd extremes, blocking any clients from specific countries to prevent cyberattacks.
While the CCP and North Korean governments focus on censoring their internal network, The U.S geo-block websites for countries in the Middle East and Asia.
Still, the internet always strives to stay interconnected, and we have the necessary tools to bypass these limitations.
Use proxy servers to bypass geo-blocking
With the help of a proxy server, any internet user can bypass geo-blocking and censorship by changing their location and IP.
Even unique but restricted Chinese websites can be easily accessed with a China proxy.
Thanks to proxy servers from reliable proxy providers, we can enjoy the luxury of anonymity on the web.
Privacy is crucial for successful businesses and beneficial for private individuals.
Try using a proxy from a respected provider and connect to the internet safely from any location around the world.
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