Governments, companies, schools, and internet providers sometimes use software to prevent their users from accessing certain websites and services that are otherwise available on the open web. This is called internet filtering or blocking , and it is a form of censorship. Filtering comes in different forms. Even with encryption , censors can block entire websites, hosting providers, or internet technologies. Sometimes, content is blocked based on the keywords it contains. When sites aren’t encrypted, censors can also block individual web pages.
There are different ways of beating internet censorship. Some protect you from surveillance, but many do not. When someone who controls your net connection filters or blocks a site, you can almost always use a circumvention tool to get to the information you need.
