How to avoid GDPR Geo-Blocking.
EU’s new GDPR privacy law has got every company around the globe moving towards compliance with this law. But there is one problem that has emerged from all of this. Since it is nearly impossible for companies to make all these changes at the same time, some Internet users are now geo-blocked from non-compliant websites.
If you want to gain access to your online accounts, news, or any of your favorite online content, you should not sit idle. In fact, there is a simple way to avoid the GDPR geo-blocking. Let’s see what you can do to navigate the GDPR-restricted internet waters freely.
What is the GDPR – a quick recap
If online privacy and data protection are not your fields of interest, you might not have heard about the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). Or maybe you have but in an indirect fashion. If you can no longer access some websites, and you know that they are up and running, you are probably affected by the GDPR.
The GDPR is part of the European legislation designed to regulate online privacy and data. What is so bad about it? It is damaging because of its worldwide impact. It is primarily intended to protect the online privacy and data of individuals residing within the EU. But it affects all websites, and the companies or individuals running these websites, that are regularly visited by EU citizens. Basically, a lot of websites, if not all of them.
Who should comply with the GDPR
We have already pointed you in the right direction. But since we are talking about huge penalties and something as important as online privacy, let's be more specific here.
First of all, let’s get one thing straight. This legislation doesn’t differentiate between locations where websites are hosted. This means that both individuals and companies that have their sites hosted inside and outside the EU are affected by it.
Simply put, all websites that have at least one visitor who resides in the EU have traffic coming from this region. This means that they are handling data on EU citizens, which further implies that these websites must comply with the GDPR. The penalties and fines for sites that don’t are quite harsh, which brings us to the next section.
Why are EU citizens frequently blocked?
In order to protect themselves from the severe penalties and fines, many websites have started blocking traffic coming from the EU, especially US-based sites. In fact, ever since May 25th, when the legislation was put in place, people around the globe have not been in the clear as to whether the GDPR applies to them or not. The moment the GDPR came into existence, many world-famous websites blocked access for EU visitors, including news outlets and US sites with huge traffic.
This gives companies and individuals behind these websites time to catch up with the GDPR and implement the required changes on their sites so that they become GDPR-compliant. In the meantime, they remain protected from the harsh GDPR fines, while EU citizens have their access to the Internet censored.
Avoid GDPR Geo-Blocking with ease
The geo-blocking is not a new thing. We could see it and are still seeing it, as the practice of some of the world’s governments. It is usually implemented when a government wants to restrict their citizens from accessing specific types of content. The GDPR geo-blocking is different because it is a reaction to legislation. This time, websites are the ones restricting the access.
If you find yourself unable to access the websites you’ve regularly visited in the past, you should check your IP address. If your IP address places you inside the EU, there’s a high chance you can’t access the website because you are being GDPR geo-blocked.
The simple way to overcome the GDPR geo-blockade is to use a Virtual Private Network (VPN). The VPN will change your IP address and make it appear as if you are accessing the website from outside the EU area, thus completely bypassing the GDPR geo-block.
The intention behind the GDPR was to protect people online, but it resulted in an inconvenient and somewhat annoying type of censorship. Fortunately, with the right VPN, you can continue accessing your favorite online content, even if you are residing in the EU.
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