And How You Can Beat Them with a Free VPN!
According to Reporters without Borders, a Paris-based non-profit that tracks international press freedom, there are currently twenty “enemies of the internet”. An ‘Enemy of the Internet” is categorized as a nation that not only censors websites, preventing citizens from accessing those sites, but also includes nations that repress internet users.
Using a VPN can allow users in these countries to browse the internet without being censored, blocked, tracked, or snooped on. If you live in a country that limits access to the web, consider downloading JewelVPN, a VPN that doesn’t charge users a penny for unlimited usage.
- China
China is infamous for its “Great Firewall”, a nationwide technology that prohibits citizens from browsing unapproved sites such as Facebook, Google, YouTube, Wikipedia, and others. Critics also point out that China is able to prevent citizens from reading unapproved news or learning about historical incidents that reflect poorly on the Chinese Government. Many citizens of China use VPNs such as JewelVPN to access their favorite services freely, and without being tracked by prying eyes.
2. Russia
The Russian government adopted legal measures in 2019 that punish internet service providers which fail to comply with the Kremlin’s ever-growing list of blocked sites. Lawmakers have attempted to justify these rules by citing a need to guard national security, and the personal privacy of Russian citizens. However, Human Rights Watch has argued that these rules facilitate mass censorship and create a mass surveillance state while comprising the privacy of online use by the Russian people. Many users in Russia use VPNs to protect their data while online.
3. United States
The United States was added to the list of internet enemies after leaks of mass surveillance by the NSA under the pretext of anti-terrorism were made public. While censorship of websites is non-existent in the USA, many fear that their use is not private and that the government may be looking at their web history and communications.
4. United Kingdom
The UK has some of the most stringent internet access laws in the Western World. The Open Rights Group has compiled a list of blocked websites numbering in the thousands. Furthermore, strict age-monitoring laws have been recently introduced to parliament which would prevent web users below an approved age from accessing certain websites. It is encouraged that residents of the United Kingdom write their representatives to push back against these rules.
5. India
India has a history of internship censorship and blocking dating back to the 1990s. Through the years since, vast swaths of the web have been taken down, and only on occasion has usage again been restored. Recently, services such as Vimeo, Tiktok, WeChat, and PUBG have gone offline in India. Reports indicate that search engine DuckDuckGo has also been blocked briefly in the past. Last but not least, sites containing adult content have been blocked nationwide. Many Indian citizens use a free VPN service like JewelVPN to access their favorite games, sites, and content.
6. Belarus
This Eastern European country has a storied history of censorship both on and offline. The long list of web Belarussian censorship became even longer in 2020 following the controversial election of Alexander Lukashenko. Belarus uses the state-owned telecom company Beltelecom to block news and social media sites that are critical of the government. Moreover, internet cafes must keep logs of their visitor’s browsing and usage data by law. What’s worse is that more than 50 journalists who wrote or spoke out against the government have been imprisoned.
For these reasons, it is strongly advised the Belarussian citizens use a VPN while on the internet. One benefit to JewelVPN is that there is no personally identifying information required to use it. No sign-ups, email submissions, credit card bills, payments, or other paper trails. Nothing comes back to you!
7. Bangladesh
Bangladesh has long subjugated journalists and media to all types of censorship both on and offline. In addition, it has blocked web access to a variety of websites, including the recent ban of 54 news websites. Bangladesh also has nationwide internet blocks on all adult content. Unfortunately, VPN usage in Bangladesh is low due to the relatively high monthly subscription price many services charge. JewelVPN is a free VPN and therefore is a great option for many Bangladeshi residents.
8. Pakistan
Pakistan has blocked access to a number of services over the years, including a brief ban of popular services YouTube, Flickr, Wikipedia, Twitter, Quora, Reddit, PUBG, Imgur, Pastebin, Telegram, and Whatsapp. Moreover, there is a complete ban on all sites distributing adult material. Like Bangladesh however, many internet users in Pakistan are unable to bypass these bans due to affordability. A free VPN like JewelVPN is a great option for Pakistanis, due to the fact that there are no subscription charges.
9. Iran
Iran is regularly ranked among the most extreme censors of online content, year after year. Most popular websites in the West, such as Google, Facebook, Netflix, Youtube, HBO, Twitter, and others have been blocked. Most Iranians use VPNs like JewelVPN to access the web, due to the fact that without them, the internet in Iran is a very small place!
10. North Korea
North Korea is known for its dictatorial stance on all kinds of civil matters, and internet access is no exception. In fact, access to any part of the web is only permitted with special authorization!
Other countries on the list include Bahrain, Cuba, Ethiopia, Saudi Arabia, Sudan, Syria, Turkmenistan, United Arab Emirates, Uzbekistan, and Vietnam.
Internet freedom is important to us here at JewelVPN, and we believe it is important to our 21st century world which is why we support the Electronic Frontier Foundation, a group dedicated to providing online rights and internet freedom and privacy to users around the globe. Help us support you by downloading JewelVPN for free on your PC today, and enjoy the internet as it was meant to be.