Navigating Internet Censorship: An In-Depth Look at Tor, VPNs, and Circumvention Strategies
It’s an unfortunate reality that governments and nation-states around the world employ sophisticated methods to control and restrict their citizens' access to the Internet. I recently received an email from a student asking about using VPNs, Tor, etc., to bypass these restrictions. I replied to their question but thought the topic may interest other people, so I decided to turn it into a blog post as well. This blog post will examine the ongoing battle between censorship authorities and those using tools like Tor and VPNs to bypass these restrictions. We'll look at the various techniques used by nation-states to block or throttle VPN usage, dive into the technical details of how these methods work, and discuss strategies for circumventing censorship. Furthermore, we'll discuss the role of proxies, the effectiveness of the Tor network, and the importance of staying informed in the face of ever-evolving censorship tactics. Understanding VPN Blocking Techniques: To effec