What are geo-restrictions, and why do they occur? Though restricted, businesses still need them but for legitimate cases only. That’s why proxies are used to access these restrictions. Find out more here.
Have you ever wondered why some of the websites you visit do not give you access to their content? This article will enlighten you about everything you need to know about geo-restricted websites.
What is Geo-restriction?
Geo-restriction is a term used when websites do not allow visitors to access their content based on the location where they are accessing the content. Geo-restriction is used interchangeably with geo-blocking. So if you are in an area identified as geo-blocked, you cannot view the content of the website you are visiting. The most popular digital platforms that use geo-restriction are YouTube and Netflix.
Why Are Some Websites Geo-blocked?
There are many reasons why companies, institutions, or individuals restrict their content to a specific audience. Some examples are:
- Data Protection and Privacy Laws
Not all countries or states have the same data privacy laws. Some have stricter regulations than others. For example, the EU has very stringent data privacy laws which impose strict compliance and fines websites that unintentionally violate their laws. Furthermore, to not risk their business or company’s reputation, they geo-block their content in the EU countries.
- Target Market or Audience
There are companies, especially manufacturing companies, that transact only with selected countries or places. For them not to confuse customers, not in their turf, geo-restriction is the easiest option.
Therefore, websites can have one hundred and one reasons to opt for geo-restriction or geo-blocking rather than endure the hassles and troubles of dealing with some online issues.
Important note: before engaging in any data gathering or web scraping activity, one should make sure that they do not breach any laws or get professional legal advice.
Why Is There Still a Need to Access Geo-blocked Content?
Have you ever encountered a website that tells you—”the website you are accessing is not available in your country”?
What if you badly needed to see the content of that website for your business requirement? This is one of the reasons why accessing geo-blocked locations is growing in popularity. Suppose there are one hundred and one reasons to restrict some audience from accessing their website. In that case, there are one hundred and two reasons for accessing blocked websites.
The following are some of the reasons why:
- There are businesses, companies, or individuals who want to benchmark similar lines of service or products from other countries.
- Institutions like schools that want to see the latest in education technology seek information from other countries.
- Individuals who are looking for better opportunities or remote jobs abroad look over the internet for solutions.
- A brand that is located in a highly restricted country may not meet the full market potential of its brand.
- Students who want to take courses in other countries browse the internet for online courses.
- Companies need to monitor and analyze the international market for strategic growth.
- Brands that need to monitor customer feedback from the international market.
- Individuals who browse travel websites and want to visit a particular city or country.
- International surveys intended for research and development.
- Individuals interested in international news, and many more!
How Proxies Help Access Geo-restricted Location
Due to these legitimate reasons, companies and individuals resort to proxies in accessing restricted websites. Proxy servers can override restrictions because they use IP addresses other than the blocked IP address from a restricted location.
What is a Proxy?
It is an intermediary server that separates internet users from the destination website. Proxies act on behalf of the end-user without using the end user’s IP address. In other words, the proxy server uses different IP addresses, thus protecting the end-user’s identity. This is also the reason why proxies can access geo-restricted locations.
One example is a German proxy. It is a type of proxy that can access various websites in Germany. The German proxy services are being used for various purposes. Some of these are:
- Purchasing items and arranging shipment
- Participating in auctions or bids
- Buying brands that are more expensive when purchased outside of Germany
- Transacting business in Germany
While there are many proxy providers in the market, it is essential to find a reliable supplier. Read more about top market players among German proxy service providers.
Final Words:
The bottom line is that both sides have legitimate reasons to geo-restrict and to access the geo-restricted site. If both entities have good and well-meaning intentions in doing such, this may not be a cause for concerns.
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However, you must use only a legitimate proxy server with a proven track record and good reputation to collect public geo-restricted information.
This post was last modified on August 7, 2021 8:42 PM