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 […]

Not all internet-capable devices can run VPN apps or have VPN functionality built in. This includes game consoles, including Xbox, PlayStation, and Nintendo Switch, as well as many smart TV sets.  The easiest way to secure such devices using a VPN is to connect them to the internet via a VPN router. Learn more about […]

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 […]

Privacy advocates often refer to an “encrypted tunnel” or “VPN tunnel” that protects your data when you use a VPN. But what exactly is a VPN tunnel? The term “tunnel” is a metaphor. Apart from the fiber optic cables tying the internet together, your data isn’t really traveling through a tunnel. But VPNs do protect […]

A virtual private network (VPN) prevents your internet service provider (ISP) from seeing what you do online. However, in doing this, it takes over routing your internet connection to the websites you visit, so it can monitor what you do on the internet instead of your ISP. Unlike your ISP, protecting your privacy is a […]

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 […]

Internet censorship is a recurring problem in Ethiopia, particularly since the beginning of the Tigray War in 2020. At various times, the government has blocked specific websites and shut down the internet completely in the Tigray region and nationally. Right now, the Ethiopian people are under another online blackout targeting the most popular social media […]

An internet service provider (ISP) is the company that connects you to the internet, resolves domain names, routes internet traffic, and is responsible for helping to maintain the network infrastructure that makes the internet possible.  The term includes mobile (cell phone) operators who provide mobile internet access over wireless cellular networks. ISPs often provide other […]