Simple Tools for Accessing Blocked Websites

There are a few simple ways to access blocked websites. These include using the Wayback Machine, proxy sites, and VPNs. It should be noted that the tools below are not meant for online security but simply for accessing a blocked site.

Wayback Machine

One way of accessing a blocked website is by checking captures of said website on the Wayback Machine database – as long as you have the link to the website you want to access. The Wayback Machine creates digital copies of internet websites. This allows for access to (versions of) websites that have gone permanently offline, or in our case, of websites that are blocked by our internet provider. This works because what you are in fact actually accessing is the Wayback Machine website, rather than the blocked website in question. As long as the Wayback Machine is not blocked by your provider, you are good to go. In is important to note that the database has partial captures, so it may not necessarily have up to date captures of the link you input, and captures tend to be more numerous depending on the popularity of the site you are trying to access.

Proxy Sites

Another way to access a blocked site is through the use of a proxy server. Proxy servers will load for you the site, bypassing the block, as again what you are technically accessing is the proxy server website in question, rather than the website you are in fact trying to access. One example of a free proxy site is proxysite.com. Again, you will need to have the link of the site you would like to access.

VPNs

A VPN (Virtual Private Network) works by sending your internet traffic through a secure connection to a special server run by the VPN company. This hides your real location and makes it hard for others to see what you're doing. It also helps you access websites or content that might be blocked in your country.

There are many free VPNs available as extensions for browsers that are good enough to use if what you are simply trying to achieve is access to a blocked website. However, if what you are concerned with is also to protect your IP and personal data, paid options appear as an inevitability, as free VPNs tend to collect and sell the data of their users. Nonetheless, for simply accessing blocked websites, free VPNs are good enough. One example of a free VPN extension is ProtonVPN.