Some countries or telecommunications companies or even Internet distributors in a number of countries and regions block a number of websites. Which is an obstacle to the work of some journalists and prevent them from access to some platforms and sources of information.
How can we bypass blocking and browse blocked sites?
One way to bypass blocking is to use a “VPN”, which is a shortcut to the Virtual Private Network
What is VPN?
A program installed on your computer, tablet, or smartphone.
Its mission is mainly
- First: bypass blocking, thus browsing blocked websites.
- Second: Encryption of communication. So that all data transmitted and received on the device are encrypted. Therefore, a telecommunications company or Internet provider cannot know which sites we visit while using VPN.
What are the advantages or disadvantages of VPN?
Advantages | Advantages of using VPN:
– Ability to browse blocked sites
– Communication encryption
– Hide the identity of the user (it is difficult to the visited site to find out the identity of the applicant)
Disadvantages | some of the disadvantages of using VPN:
– Slow connection speed * the connection speed varies depending on the VPN company.
– The Internet company or internet provider can tell if the user is using a VPN
* Using VPN in some countries is illegal, as is the case in the United Arab Emirates.
– VPN company can know which sites you browse, because your encrypted connection is encoded and decrypted in the VPN company * that means when using the “VPN” the communication is encrypted from all parties except the VPN company.
– In addition to that, many companies that offer free VPN will contain some ads.
Are VPN applications free, or are they paid?
There are companies that offer free VPN service, and there are many companies that offer paid VPN services
* Usually, paid VPN services are faster than the free ones.
How can I get a free and secure VPN version?
Among the companies that offer free and secure copies:
– PSiphon Company. Offers free copies for Windows computers – Android operated phones – IOS operated phones (iPhone)
All copies of “PSiphon” are available at https://psiphon.ca/en/download.html
The Windows version can be downloaded from the following link: https://psiphon.ca/psiphon3.exe
A copy for the Android phones can be downloaded from the Google Play store at:
https://play.google.com/store/apps/developer?id=Psiphon+Inc
A copy for iPhone phones can be downloaded from the Apple Store via the following link:
https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/psiphon/id1276263909
If Siphon website is blocked, you can get a copy of Siphon via e-mail by sending an empty e-mail to: [email protected]
The following link contains the Siphon manual in Arabic: https://psiphon.ca/en/user-guide.html
– One of the other companies that offer free VPN is “TOR”
Tor offers a free version for Windows, Mac, Linux, and Android phones.
All Tor versions are available at https://www.torproject.org/download
The Windows version can be downloaded via the following link:
https://www.torproject.org/dist/torbrowser/8.0.8/torbrowser-install-win64-8.0.8_en-US.exe
The Mac version can be downloaded via the following link:
https://www.torproject.org/dist/torbrowser/8.0.8/TorBrowser-8.0.8-osx64_en-US.dmg
A copy for the Android phones can be downloaded from the Google Play store at:
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=org.torproject.torbrowser_alpha
If Tor website is blocked, a copy of Tor can be obtained by e-mail by sending an empty email to [email protected]
What is the difference between “PSiphon” and “Tor”?
Siphon encrypts sent and received data to the device. While Tor encrypts only the data sent and received from its browser * Tor has its own Internet browser which launches once it runs.
Are all VPN companies reliable?
Of course no.
Not all VPN companies and applications can be trusted.
Both applications mentioned earlier are reliable, if you need to use another application, consult a technical expert.