At first glance, there doesn’t seem to be a limit to the information you can access online. Whether you want to watch that new TV show that everyone’s been talking about, look up flight price information, or check up on your competitors, you can seemingly find everything you need by visiting a few websites.
However, whether you realize it or not, you’re coming across virtual walls at every turn.
Every once in a while, you’re sure to come across a few 403 errors, videos that are unavailable in your region, or even TV shows you know to exist on your streaming platform but are, for some reason, inaccessible to you.
In all likelihood, those are all instances of geo-blocks, and the only way to bypass them effectively is with the help of residential proxies.
What is geo-blocking, and why does it exist?
Geo-blocking is the process of restricting access to content based on a user’s geographical location. It’s all relatively straightforward – every site you want to visit can see your IP address, which informs it about your general physical location, among other things.
Then, using your location, the site can determine what type of content to present to you, if any at all.
Though it can be annoying for users to come across geo-restrictions, many sites have legitimate reasons for imposing them, the most common ones being complying with the law, personalizing services, and diversifying prices.
Government-imposed restrictions
Many websites will use geo-blocking technology to prevent access to their content because of government-imposed restrictions. A European online gambling site, for instance, might prevent users from countries such as Japan, Singapore, and United Arab Emirates from accessing it since gambling is illegal there.
It can work the other way around, as well. It might not be the site itself that restricts user access but the government. China, for instance, doesn’t allow its citizens to use some social media sites, such as Facebook. Therefore, if you are visiting China, you wouldn’t be able to connect to a local network and access your own Facebook for the duration of your stay.
Service personalization
To stay competitive, websites need to personalize the content, products, and services they present to their visitors. The easiest way to do so is by dividing the audiences into regional segments. So, a website might present visitors from the US with different content than those from the UK.
Furthermore, some sites might need geo-restrictions to respect their licensing laws and agreements. That’s why streaming platforms like Netflix will have vastly different content across different regions.
Price diversification
Finally, websites might impose geo-restrictions to diversify their prices. A ticket booking site, for instance, will present its visitors with vastly different flight price information based on where they’re coming from. E-commerce sites like Amazon will impose geo-restrictions to force users to access the local version of the site where prices might be higher.
Why you’ll want to bypass geo-blocks
Virtually all online users can benefit from bypassing geo-blocks. The average Joe or Jane might want to bypass the blocks so they could access their favorite shows on streamlining platforms while traveling abroad. They could do so to find the lowest prices for products or services they want to buy or find entertaining, educational, or informative content they don’t have access to in their region.
However, while the average user might benefit from bypassing geo-blocks, companies and businesses will find it indispensable.
Competitor and market analysis
Bypassing geo-blocks is crucial for performing thorough competitor analysis and market research. Businesses that want to expand to new regions or markets must conduct thorough research before doing so. They can only do that by overcoming geo-restrictions and gaining access to relevant content.
Price comparison
Many businesses will have different prices for their products and services in different regions. They must conduct comprehensive price comparisons with their competitors to ensure that their prices are neither too low nor too high. As some websites use geo-blocks to change their pricing based on the user’s location, bypassing these blocks is essential.
Data collection
Another reason why bypassing geo-restrictions is essential is data collection. Businesses need access to accurate, unbiased data for research, building customer personas, developing marketing strategies, and more. Geo-blocks can prevent access to such data, so you must find ways to go around them.
How to avoid geo-restrictions with proxies
As mentioned earlier, geo-restrictions are pretty straightforward, relying on IP addresses and tracking cookies to identify where website visitors are coming from. Therefore, bypassing geo-restrictions is reasonably simple as well. All you need are residential proxies.
Proxies sit between your device and the rest of the internet, routing all your traffic through their remote servers. In the process, they hide your actual IP address and provide you with a fake new one.
The problem with most proxy types is that websites can usually recognize fake IP addresses and still restrict user access to the content. That’s why residential proxies are the ideal solution to bypassing geo-blocks.
Residential proxies provide users with real, authentic IP addresses that come from genuine Internet Service Providers and that are connected with specific physical locations across the globe. Websites will recognize these IP addresses as legitimate and unlock access, allowing you to browse them without restrictions.
If you’re looking for a reliable, ethically-sourced residential proxy solution, check this from Oxylabs – the company is highly transparent about their acquisition methods, which is super important when it comes to residential proxies.
Conclusion
Bypassing geo-blocks is highly beneficial, providing you with access to accurate, relevant data, content, and information wherever you are. It can help you browse the internet without unnecessary censorship and allow your company to conduct proper competitor and market research, price comparison, and data collection.