Bypassing internet censorship legally in 2025

Internet censorship is a term for restrictions that block users from accessing information or services online. This is usually either to protect companies’ contractual agreements by restricting access to services or to limit the information available to people living in an oppressive country.

Fortunately, there are legal ways to bypass censorship and unblock content, giving you greater internet freedom and unrestricted access to information sources. The caveat is to make sure that you’re not stepping over any regional and local laws in your area. While these methods are legal in the vast majority of the world, some countries have stricter legislation.

Understanding internet censorship

Companies like streaming services use censorship to impose blocks that help them stick to their contractual agreements. Governments around the world use censorship, too, helping control their own narratives and limiting access to unbiased information. Finally, internet service providers (ISPs) may also restrict content to serve government interests or support work and school policies. Below, I’ll look at these scenarios in more detail with real-world examples to understand internet censorship better.

What is internet censorship?

Internet censorship is a kind of restriction that can block off parts of the internet to people who live in a particular region or connect to a specific internet network. I usually encounter censorship policies in four core areas: government, ISP, corporate, and education-based censorship.

• Governments: Governments commonly use censorship to control the narrative in their country. The biggest example currently is Russia’s use of censorship to prevent Russian citizens from having access to unbiased Western news sources. Services like WhatsApp, Instagram, and Tinder are also censored and thus unavailable within the country.
• Internet service providers: ISPs can use censorship in some cases, though not always. In oppressive regimes, ISPs often work to serve government interests, though in some countries, they simply help enforce the law. For example, in the United Kingdom, my ISP limits my access to torrenting websites unless I use a VPN.
• Corporations: Corporations use internet censorship to prevent employees from accessing websites like porn and gambling while connected to a company network.
• Education providers: Similarly, education providers often block students from accessing adult sites and gaming websites while connected to an institution’s internet network.

Of course, some of these forms of censorship have more severe connotations. It’s understandable that an organization or education provider would want to block access to adult content during business hours and protect minors. However, government censorship limits individual freedoms and the right to unbiased sources of information.

Why do governments restrict internet access?

Governments use internet restrictions for political, social, and security reasons. One primary motivator is political control, limiting access to information and thereby preventing the spread of dissent and support for opposing bodies. We saw examples of this in November 2024, when the government of Mauritius blocked access to social media platforms right before the election. Countries with oppressive regimes like China and North Korea employ internet censorship to keep power and control over the flow of information and, therefore, the population.

However, national security is another motivator. When civil unrest is high, governments have been known to block services or even entirely disable Internet services in an effort to disrupt planning and communications among citizens. While politically motivated, recent protests in Bangladesh saw mass casualties that resulted in the government shutting down the internet.

Finally, moral and cultural justifications can play a part, especially in countries where content like pornography or gambling is considered unsavory or even illegal. Countries like Saudi Arabia and Iran use internet censorship to ensure that people can only access websites that don’t go against their cultural and religious beliefs.

Types of internet censorship

Numerous types of Internet restrictions can block access to restricted content:

1. Website restrictions: The simplest form of restrictions prevent you from accessing certain websites based on your location. For example, YouTube TV won't let you access its content outside of the US. Similarly, the Russian government stops its citizens from accessing Western news websites that are critical of Russian interests.
2. Keyword filtering: This method involves monitoring for and blocking specific keywords input by the user. Your input is compared against a list of banned keywords or sensitive topics, and your actions can be automatically reported to authorities if you’re seen to be entering banned phrases into search engines or other sites.
3. Content filtering: Content filtering is a little more honed than simple website restrictions, blocking specific types of content that go against national interests or religious beliefs. This kind of internet censorship can be used to blanket ban pornography and gambling content, for example.
4. Blacklisting by IP address: Every website and device has an IP address associated with it, and network administrators can prevent users from connecting to a specific platform by adding that IP address to a blacklist.
5. Intercepting DNS requests: Your device’s DNS requests can be intercepted and filtered, redirecting them elsewhere – for example, to a webpage that explains the site is blocked. Alternatively, specific DNS requests to a website can be blocked so that the page doesn’t load.
6. Deep packet inspection (DPI): Deep packet inspection analyzes the content of web packets, the smallest component of internet traffic. This allows administrators to see what is being transmitted, and it's such a powerful method that it can often defeat lesser VPNs that don’t have advanced anonymity tools like obfuscation.

Legal ways to bypass internet censorship

Now that we’ve explored what internet censorship is and why it is used, I’ll lay out the most effective legal ways showing you how to bypass internet restrictions. These are all common practices used by my colleagues and me, and thousands around the world, to take back personal freedoms and ensure fair and unrestricted Internet access.

1. Using a VPN to change your IP address

Using a VPN to change your IP address and appear as if you’re in another location is the easiest way to bypass internet censorship legally. In most cases, using a VPN to bypass restrictions won’t be considered breaking the law.

However, in a select few countries, even VPNs themselves are banned or at least heavily regulated:

• China: VPNs are controlled by the state, with providers required to apply for government approval before being allowed to operate in China. Choosing a state-approved VPN won’t help you bypass internet censorship and could even result in your activities being shared with the government.
• Russia: Russia recently passed legislation requiring VPN providers to block specific websites. If you use a VPN to bypass internet restrictions, you can be fined.
• UAE: VPN usage is typically restricted to business use. Using a VPN to bypass censorship online can result in fines or even imprisonment in some cases.
• Oman: Similar to the UAE, Oman imposes strict restrictions on VPN usage. If you bypass content blocks, you can face heavy financial penalties if caught.
• Iran: Iran follows a similar method of control to China, limiting use to only VPNs that have been approved by the state. Using other VPNs in Iran can result in penalties.

In other countries, penalties aren’t so severe. Still, you should be careful – your account could be closed down if you’re trying to bypass content restrictions on a site like Netflix or Amazon Prime, for example. Similarly, bypassing institutional or corporate content filters could see you suspended from school or disciplined in the workplace.

2. Proxy servers

Proxy servers mask your IP address just like a VPN, which means you can change your IP and gain access to restricted websites. Web proxies work with HTTP traffic directly within your browser, while SOCKS proxies are more advanced and can handle all types of internet traffic. Proxies can bypass censorship, but they lack crucial security features like encryption, making them a less secure choice than a premium VPN.

What’s more, some governments block known proxy IP addresses, which can limit their effectiveness. Bear in mind that while a proxy can be used to disguise your IP, it could also put you at risk. Without encryption, you could be more easily tracked – in oppressive countries, this could pose a direct risk to your freedoms or safety, so take care if you choose to use a proxy service.

3. Smart DNS services

DNS servers help match your web requests to the websites you want to visit. Your computer relies on such services to translate URLs, like google.com, into the raw-number format required by your computer. Smart DNS services redirect your DNS queries through a remote server, tricking websites into thinking that you’re located elsewhere.

Much like proxies, Smart DNS does not encrypt your traffic, but it does avoid the impact on speeds that VPNs have. As a result, Smart DNS can be useful for bypassing geo-blocks on streaming services, particularly if you’re on a slower connection.

Some governments and internet providers block Smart DNS services, so they might not work in your region. While these tools are typically considered legal, they carry the same risks as VPNs in countries without internet freedom – so take care, particularly since they won’t hide your identity from your ISP.

4. Encrypted DNS and DNS-over-HTTPS (DoH)

Regular DNS requests are not encrypted, meaning ISPs and governments can block or monitor your internet activity if you use them. This problem is somewhat solved by encrypted DNS methods like DNS-over-HTTPS (DoH) and DNS-over-TLS (DoT). These tools effectively prevent your ISP from being able to censor or redirect your web requests.

What’s more, you can use services like Cloudflare’s 1.1.1.1 and Google Public DNS as a free, secure, and encrypted DNS service. Still, despite encryption, these tools don’t protect your anonymity to the same degree as VPNs. As a result, countries like China and Turkey block encrypted DNS services to protect their internet censorship policies.

5. ToR Browser

The Tor network protects privacy by routing your web traffic through multiple volunteer-owned servers. This adds layers to your online internet traffic, making it difficult for third parties to tie it back to you. While Tor is legal in many countries, it’s common knowledge that most people use it to access the dark web or bypass censorship. Therefore, some countries, like China, Russia, and Iran, block Tor and often punish people who are caught using it.

6. Mobile data hotspots

Using mobile data tethering and hotspots can help to bypass internet censorship on Wi-Fi networks, like those on schools, workplaces, and other public Wi-Fi networks. This is a useful method if you want to avoid local restrictions, but it’s not suited to overcoming national internet blockades.

Risks and ethical considerations

Software that lets you bypass internet censorship is essential for people living in restrictive areas, but it also comes with risks. What’s more, there are ethical considerations tied to using such software tools — some people choose to exploit them for illegal purposes.

Legal consequences of bypassing restrictions

In many countries, bypassing internet restrictions can lead to penalties ranging from warnings to fines or even legal action. However, in most regions, this is usually only the case if you’re doing it to break the law – like downloading copyright-protected material. In such cases, your ISP could respond by cutting off your internet connection. In the United Kingdom, where I’m based, you’ll usually receive a warning letter first before any further action is taken.

Some platforms, such as streaming services, enforce geo-restrictions to protect contractual rights. While your ISP won’t care if you use a VPN to watch content in another country, the streaming provider could close your account or blacklist your IP address. That said, these penalties don’t usually land you in any legal trouble, and you can simply use a VPN to change your IP address and continue accessing the platform.

But certain countries have strict laws against using VPNs, proxies, or Tor to bypass censorship. Countries including China, Russia, Iran, and the UAE use financial penalties and even imprisonment to punish those who use these tools to break the law. In these regions, ISPs work on behalf of the government, so maintaining airtight anonymity is crucial.

Ethical use of censorship bypass tools

While there are tools that can circumvent censorship, some people choose to use them for illegal purposes. The ethical use of VPNs, proxies, and Tor should focus on legitimate purposes, like protecting your online freedoms, providing access to unbiased sources of information and news, and ensuring safe and unmonitored communication in regions where surveillance and civil punishment are taken to the extreme.

Users have a responsibility to use censorship bypass tools ethically and lawfully. This means respecting terms of service, following local regulations, and avoiding actions that could harm others. While internet restrictions can be far-reaching in some regions, you should always understand and weigh the risks against the benefits.

Final thoughts

Online freedom continues to decline as the internet comes under increasing surveillance and monitoring by internet service providers and governments around the world. While this causes annoying drawbacks like not being able to watch the TV show you like, it has much bigger implications in some countries. People are blocked from accessing propaganda-free news and even imprisoned for trying to access the everyday services that you and I take for granted.

Fortunately, legal methods exist for bypassing internet censorship legally and taking back online freedom. The simplest and most secure method, particularly for those in restrictive countries, is a virtual private network (VPN). It’s the only way to ensure airtight anonymity, but even then, you should always understand the risks in your country. Users with less to lose can also consider proxy servers, encrypted DNS, and ToR network servers to circumvent censorship.