We Are Living In A Censored World: Here Is How To Defend Your Rights
Updated on July 13, 2021: From now on, traffic filtering, malware protection, and suspicious DNS activity blocking are available as a part of the separate DNS Firewall app.
Did you know that only 31% of global internet users has a complete freedom on the internet? The rest of the web population lives under strict censorship rules? Here is what’s going on according to the latest researches:
- More than 60% of internet users are unable to use many of the blessings the cyber space offers.
- Many governments block social networks, VoIP services, making impossible to connect with friends and family across the globe.
- Watching favorite videos is also a challenge these days in many countries.
The current state of the internet censorship
But what about the online freedom rights that are based on the Article 19 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights? It states that “everyone has the right to freedom of opinion and expression; this right includes freedom to hold opinions without interference and to seek, receive and impart information and ideas through any media and regardless of frontiers.”
This means that authorities do not have a right to prevent publishers from publishing truthful information, as well as block internet users from accessing that information. Unfortunately, many governments neglect the online freedom rights of their citizens. They continue to enact stringent laws in the name of fighting inappropriate and abuse content. However, in fact, the surveillance of people and the information they share online is performed mainly for political reasons.
Countries with the lowest rate of the internet freedom are China, Syria, Iran, Ethiopia, Cuba, Uzbekistan, Vietnam, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Thailand, Singapore, and Pakistan.
More facts that illustrate our “freedom” of online expression:
61% of internet users live in countries where criticism of governments, military, and the ruling family has been subject to censorship.
- A man faces up to 32 years in jail for “liking” a Photoshopped image, documenting a Thai corruption scandal that included an image of the king.
58% of internet users live in countries where bloggers were jailed for sharing content on political, social, and religious issues.
- A pregnant blogger was recently sentenced to 10-month jail term in Singapore over made-up stories about foreigners posted on her website.
45% of internet users live in countries where posting satirical writing, videos, or cartoons online can result in censorship or jail time.
- In Thailand a man faces up to 37 years in jail for posting a sarcastic comment on social media about the king’s pet dog.
38% of internet users live in countries where social media or messaging apps were blocked in the past year.
- Turkey’s government frequently responds to political events by blocking social media, like Twitter, Facebook, and YouTube.
Can the internet be liberated?
This is what the world with government censorship looks like. What if you are among those victims of the internet censorship? How can you protect yourself, getting access to the censored sites, and expressing your ideas?
The most common means to avoid content blocking, and maintain your online security is encryption. Acting like a padlocked armored container for your personal data, it ensures that no one unauthorized party will see what’s inside this steel box. In this case, there is no way of monitoring or censoring your traffic.
How to get the high-grade encryption? Use a virtual private network, like VPN Unlimited. It will help to prevent governments and other snoops from monitoring what you are browsing or sending out online. There is simply no link between your messages and your real identity, as VPN hides your real IP address, offering you a virtual one.
Moreover, using a special technology called KeepSolid Wise, VPN Unlimited makes your VPN connection invisible to Deep Packet Inspection (DPI) firewalls. Your VPN traffic appears like an innocent-looking transformed traffic, e.g. HTTPS standard.
In a world where mass surveillance has become a serious threat to freedom of expression, a secure connection is essential for protecting your privacy.
Stop giving up your rights with VPN Unlimited right away.