How Can Your Startup Bypass GEO Restrictions?

From a business front, the online world can give you all the insight you require to help grow your business towards a better path. Despite the online world being a good source, there are still restrictions being applied. You don't need a to know: ‘’Cyber criminals are constantly finding new technologies to target victims."These restrictions have been imposed due to the. Yes, the online world is great but when it comes to security and safety of viewing content online, there are still many companies that are restricting users to avoid any risks.These restrictions are common now and have been referred with the name ‘Geo-restrictions’.This is an issue that is widely used being implied on almost every website across the globe to prevent any users access due to many reasons. However, with the growth of technology, this issue has developed efficient solutions that can help you in tackling such an issue without any hassle.The purpose of this article is to help your brand grow by helping you bypass geo restrictions. We have prepared a guide to give you all the insights you need to know about this topic and how you can tackle it.Before we jump into the solution, let’s first understand the root cause of the problem.

What is Geo-restrictions?

Have you ever tried viewing a website and suddenly on your screen, a message appears saying, “Sorry this content can’t be viewed” The reason is not your internet connection, the reason lies in your location.Yes, your location is the reason for the block of that content.Geo-restrictions are applied so that other users who are not part of that particular location cannot view the data/ image or information.In simpler terms, if you are in India and want to view the competitor market in the USA, your chances are close to nil since your location is banned from viewing that data.Do you know how geo-restrictions can identify you?The answer lies in your IP address. You use your IP address to view a website. When the geo-restricted website receives your request, it can see your location as well. Though it may not be able to detect your current place of residence accurately, it can for sure identify which location you are.When this happens, your IP address gets blocked at that very moment. Hence you cannot view that website anymore. Geo-restrictions are on the rise because many companies or firms or even multinational companies deal with large information with reference to their prospects.Since they function on the online platforms, businesses need to safeguard and secure all that happens around them.This may seem like a great way to remain safeguarded over the online frauds taking place, but do you think that everyone who wants to retrieve information online is doing it for the wrong purpose?

Example:

Say your brand wants to invest in a country which is abroad, the only way you can study that countries market is through data. From the facts to the statistics and the growth line, you need every piece of information which can help you stand firm in front of your already existing competitors.Where would you go to retrieve information? The best place is online. You can view companies working there and get an insight into their reports which will help you in investing and planning your business better there.What about when you want to expand your business line, you will only be able to select a country which is ideal for you when you have the data in hand of theirs. When your reasons are genuine to grow, do you still believe that geo-restrictions should be implemented?You might be wondering if this is the case, then why does this issue even exist?Let the next category help you out.

Why Geo Restrictions are being applied?

Concerning the B2B industry, expressed his views saying, ‘’ Some businesses might just wish to target audiences from a particular geographic location as their potential customers. Geo-blocking would be a handy tool for controlling what your website visitors can and cannot access.’’As mentioned earlier, geo-restrictions are focused mainly on only sharing content to authorized users. Hence the reason for its rise is because:

1. Secures online frauds- 

Since many companies deeply associated with their prospects online, they have so much information which they create a report to study later. These reports are crucial because it can help a firm to grow better by observing and comparing prospect needs. Due to this, many companies restrict making it public because they believe that the report can be tampered with and be used for the wrong purpose which could damage their brand. To remain safeguarded they only allow few notable users to access it.

2. Protect information- 

Many businesses such as e-commerce websites and few online businesses depend highly on the online platforms to gain information and conduct their businesses. Many of their data to are stored on an online folder to be viewed later on. But with the cyber-attacks being conducted online, such businesses believe that by geo restricting their data, they can easily stay away from those perpetrators that would cause harm to them.

3. Adhering to policies and national laws- 

Many businesses tend to focus more on geo-restriction because they have an internal policy to adhere too. While some continue to follow the policies, few national laws indulge businesses to imply geo-restrictions on their data too. When this happens, companies and businesses are liable to strictly follow such instructions so that they don’t fall under any threat of fraudgery. 

4. Liberty to choose who can access data- 

Many companies, especially those who are growing the successful ladder, tend to not share their numbers as openly to the small growing businesses. They also prevent other countries to study their tactics so that they can retain their growth structure. At times many companies too would not like to share information with a few countries due to the wrong reasons such as the race, the place of residence or even because of the type of people. This may sound wrong but there are companies out there that follow this principle.

5. Licensing issue- 

Due to limited licensing, many companies have to limit their content for a few countries. The cost of investing in another license is tiresome and expensive. At times even in some countries, they have strict licensing agreements which too add on the many reasons why companies prefer to geo-block from such kinds.Concerning the B2B industry, expressed his views saying, ‘’ Some businesses might just wish to target audiences from a particular geographic location as their potential customers. Geo-blocking would be a handy tool for controlling what your website visitors can and cannot access.’’

Did you expect the above reasons to be the cause of why geo-restrictions exist?

The above was a small example of the common reasons why geo-restrictions are being used till today, but as a business firm yourself, do you believe that brands need to apply this restriction?

Why businesses don’t require geo-restrictions to be applied?

When it comes to adhering to laws and safeguarding your information geo-restrictions can be applied but when you are viewing the online resource to grow better, you don’t have to restrict your growth with such restrictions.

5 reasons why businesses don’t have to apply geo-restrictions:

1. Increase growth- 

How can your brand grow better when you don’t have any knowledge about what your competitors are doing? How can you tap your leads differently from the usual routine? If you want to grow better and succeed in your business, grasping what your competitors are performing on is important for you to have. It could be the pricing data or the way they sell, the data can help you plan your strategy much better and more fruitful. For instance, if your competitors have a different type of pricing strategy, you can take an example of it and create a unique pricing strategy that will help you better. 

2. Helps expand business line-

 If you aim to place your brand’s mark across the globe, you need to start attracting leads towards your solution. If you want high-quality leads that add value to your business, this can happen when you can attract more leads towards you. When you have geo-restrictions, you are unable to tap countries that could help your brand grow better hence they are always a fence that would prevent your good branding from becoming great. For instance, being in India, you can use the US leads to shine more light on the solution they are offering. You can tap leads that are seeking your solution without any hassle.

3. Collaboration- 

Why do firms collaborate with other brands? The main reason is to extend its outreach. For instance, if you sell you might have a good number of leads coming in, but what if you collaborate with a brand abroad who sell similar features like your proxy server offer, don’t you think that your revenue count will increase. Imagine doing all this without any geo-restrictions, how well your growth would be?You have the answers in front of you.With geo-restrictions, you only face a stoppage in all the noble causes you want to create. With geo-restrictions you may adhere to the laws being associated but as a business do you just want to target your audience in one limited place?Do you believe that with the growth in your industry, the leads you have now from your current location is enough to survive the tough competition?You might want to reconsider your footsteps.Understanding that brands like yours require the right help in such situations, the growing technology has showcased a few solutions which you can use to move away from this issue.Let’s dive straight in.

How to bypass geo-restrictions while streaming?

1. VPN (Virtual Private Network)

A VPN is a virtual private network that ensures that your IP address will never reflect the websites you want to access. You can access a range of geo locations you want to access and simply use the VPN to help you conduct this action. The best part is that you can use a fast speed to enjoy your online activities without any hassle. VPN’s also have a strong encryption code that ensures your safety while the process is being conducted. VPNs also have good data performance which helps when streaming your videos online. The main agenda here is to block the obvious which is your IP Address. When this happens you can bypass geo restrictions to view any content online.

2. Proxy servers

Proxy servers are similar to VPN but they offer additional benefits than VPN. One such proxy server can refresh your IP address whenever you want to change it. Isn’t that amazing? For a great price, you can get access to any locations which is the main hub for retrieving great data. Limeproxies even have a understanding of how proxy servers operate. Why don’t you hop in to try it out?

Proxy servers are a great pick here because it makes your life easier by taking care of your IP address. With geo-restrictions, this is the first thing that will be detected. You need to ensure that you have a reliable proxy server in hand.For instance, in case you want to view any website and by chance, your IP address gets blocked you can easily get a new IP address without having to reveal your identity. The website you requested will think that you are a different person. Another instance, where you can use proxy servers is when you want to access data to study your competitor's strategies. You can’t keep accessing your competitors from another country with just one account hence proxy servers give you the liberty to use several proxies to view the same account and retrieve information faster without even getting spotted. 

3. Change your IP address

As mentioned earlier, your IP address is the main root cause for your location to be identified. To avoid that ensure that you keep a closer check on your IP address and use tools as mentioned above, such as a VPN or a proxy server that can help hide your identity better. 

4. Smart DNS

This is another tool that can mask your IP address and make your process of bypassing geo restrictions while streaming easier. Through DNS connections, it is still easy to track where your location is from and hence to avoid any other ways of being identified you can use a good DNS tool to get rid of any opportunities that may come your way. 

DNS services are easier and hassle-free to manage because their main focus is to hide your real location. Once that happens your access becomes a whole lot easier to get. For instance, say you want to access some content from Hongkong. Once your DNS entries have made the switch, your real location will appear as though you are currently residing in HongKong. Once the website realizes it, you can retrieve the content without any hassle.Another factor to cover in DNS service is that your speed doesn’t get hindered. It only works towards your geographical location changes so that you can easily access without any slow speed interventions.

4. Tor browser

The Tor browser is another tool that you can utilize for free. The Tor browser uses the method of onion routing to bypass geo restrictions while streaming. 

One of the technical articles explains, ‘’the data is first encrypted and transmitted through multiple servers, called relays. Your data is transferred through multiple relays, thus it creates multi-layered encryption and ensures your identity is hidden. Every encrypted layer is decrypted at the successive relay, and the remaining data is transmitted to any random relay until it reaches its final destination.’’

When the above action happens, your access becomes easier to pass through. Tor browser just like proxy servers serves their purpose to hide your IP address. The process might seem time-consuming but with a free service that provides good secured measures, it is worth the wait.

The Bottom Line

The online world is still growing and it will be considered as the hub for retrieving relevant information online.The debate for whether bypassing geo-restrictions while streaming is right or wrong has been surfacing online.While some believe that it is a great way to maintain privacy measures some believe that it limits its option in a vast environment. However, there have been a few changes that have come out recently.In 2018, a where they mentioned that no geo blockage will happen for non-important reasons. For instance, geo-restricted sites can’t block any users based on their locations, nationality, and residence. This was done to avoid any unfair blocking as well as to help the EU market to grow in a more single digitized space.What is your opinion on the topic?We would like to hear from you.