At times, when you try to access a website or use a social media platform, you may receive a message stating that it’s not available in your country. This is what we call geo-restriction. It happens when e-commerce stores and other websites restrict access in certain regions or state governments block access to networking services.
However, accessing blocked content is important for many businesses wanting to expand their customer base. To help you navigate geo-restrictions, we’ll cover proxies and the types used to bypass geo-restrictions, in addition to highlighting how proxies can prove to be helpful in different areas to access geo-blocked content.
Proxy Servers: A Brief Overview
A proxy is a server application that serves as an intermediary between a client and a server. The server integrates and adapts incoming and outgoing traffic requests and responses. In simple terms, it sits between the user and the online services that the user tries to access.
Of all the uses of proxy servers, bypassing geo-restrictions and IP blocks is the most common one. Proxies can hide and protect the source machine’s IP address, making it very challenging to get blacklisted while accessing and navigating websites. They can assign a different IP address from the proxy pool for every connection to access content available in that specific location.
A virtual private network (VPN) is also used to protect user identity and help access restricted content. While VPNs are more secure since they use encryption to conceal user addresses, proxies are more affordable and offer great coverage for their users.
Proxies have been around for many years, helping businesses with lead generation, brand monitoring, price intelligence, and competitive analysis. However, the primary use of proxy servers is web scraping. These proxies allow users to bypass anti-scraping measures, access geo-restricted content, and collect data without interruption.
Best Proxies to Bypass Geo-restrictions
A wide variety of proxy servers are available in the market to serve different purposes, including circumventing geo-blocks. In this section, we’ll cover three main proxies that help users bypass geo-restrictions:
Datacenter Proxies
Datacenter proxies are intermediaries that facilitate client-server communication by using IP addresses owned and managed by data centers. There are two types of datacenter proxies: shared and dedicated. Shared datacenter proxies can be used simultaneously by multiple users, whereas dedicated proxies are exclusively assigned to one user and not shared with others.
With datacenter proxies, you can use their geo-targeting capabilities to bypass IP blocks. These proxy servers can access a vast range of IP addresses from different geographical locations. If you buy datacenter proxies, you can effectively conceal your actual location and gain access to localized content.
Mobile Proxies
Mobile proxies serve as intermediaries that assign a mobile IP to a device and appear as if the user is connected to the web via the mobile data network.
Compared to other proxies, mobile proxies are much more difficult to detect and block. These proxies offer the ability to bypass geo-restrictions and access content that is often banned in certain geographical locations.
Residential Proxies
Residential proxy servers use IP addresses assigned to actual residential locations, allowing brands to appear as normal users accessing the web. There are two types of residential proxies: static and rotating. While static proxy servers provide users with a single residential address that can be used for an extended period, rotating ones assign a different IP address for each connection.
Unlike datacenter proxies, which get IPs from data center servers, residential proxies allow users to browse as if they’re operating from their own homes. This makes it an excellent choice for avoiding detection and circumventing geo-restrictions.
How Proxies Help with Geo-Restrictions
Geo-restrictions are a common problem faced by online users, which limit access to certain content or websites depending on geographical regions. In such scenarios, proxy servers work as a solution to bypass such restrictions and access banned or blocked data.
To help you understand more, here are the main areas in which proxies are widely used to get around geo-restrictions:
- E-commerce. Some e-commerce platforms restrict access to certain services, items, or deals to particular geographical regions. Proxies allow users to access local e-commerce sites, browse products, compare prices, and make purchases from anywhere in the world.
- Social media. Platforms, such as Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter, often restrict access to certain content depending on the user’s geographic location. Proxy servers allow users to bypass regional restrictions and connect with friends and associates worldwide.
- Market research. Nowadays, most organizations depend on market research and competitor analysis to make informed business decisions. However, geo-restrictions usually limit access to such data. With the help of proxies, businesses can collect information from various public sources to gather meaningful insights and maintain a competitive edge.
Final Words
Companies seeking to expand their customer base or access geo-restricted content can use proxy servers, such as datacenter, mobile, and residential proxies. All these proxies come with the ability to help businesses operate in different sectors, bypass geographical limitations, and access blocked content.
For those just getting started, some providers offer free proxies as a way to test the service before committing to a paid plan. While these are usually limited in functionality, they can help users evaluate performance and compatibility with specific use cases.