Which internet apps work or are blocked in foreign countries?

[OneMoreFarang]

In case I want to travel to China, or other countries, I like to know in advance which applications and internet access will likely work or not.

Like maybe WhatsApp does not work at all. Maybe for LINE there is some special setting, maybe OneDrive works without problem, maybe DropBox ...

You get the idea.

 

I don't want to rely on information from people who traveled maybe a year ago to one city and in one hotel app x did not work.

It would be great to have some website with up to date information about above.

Does such a website exist?

What do you do before you travel, and you know you want to use your usual apps?

[Etaoin Shrdlu]

This website may help:

 

https://www.comparitech.com/blog/vpn-privacy/internet-censorship-map/

[Georgealbert]

This site allows you to search by country.

 

https://surfshark.com/research/internet-censorship

 

Below as an example is the result for China.

 

[AreYouGerman]

In Germany rt.com and other newspapers are blocked.

[nglodnig]

Would using a VPN work? 

[connda]

6 minutes ago, nglodnig said:

Would using a VPN work? 

Yes.

[OneMoreFarang]

57 minutes ago, nglodnig said:

Would using a VPN work? 

Possibly. If the VPN works - and people are allowed to use a VPN.

[NoDisplayName]

55 minutes ago, OneMoreFarang said:

Possibly. If the VPN works - and people are allowed to use a VPN.

 

Yes, you can use a VPN.  They are not illegal, but you need to have the app downloaded into your phone before arriving in China.  I used ExpressVPN for years in China, both on cellphone and laptop.

 

 

[SportRider]

Top tip when travelling... 

 

If you are going to use a VPN, install it on your device BEFORE you go. 

 

In some countries the VPN sites themselves are blocked, making it difficult or impossible to install in situ. 

 

 

[Bangkok Barry]

I really don't understand the blocking mindset, whether it's governments or broadcasters. It's so last century. Everyone knows about VPNs now and uses them.

[OneMoreFarang]

1 hour ago, Bangkok Barry said:

I really don't understand the blocking mindset, whether it's governments or broadcasters. It's so last century. Everyone knows about VPNs now and uses them.

That reminds me that the USA wants to possibly ban TikTok... 

[Bangkok Barry]

28 minutes ago, OneMoreFarang said:

2 hours ago, Bangkok Barry said:

I really don't understand the blocking mindset, whether it's governments or broadcasters. It's so last century. Everyone knows about VPNs now and uses them.

That reminds me that the USA wants to possibly ban TikTok... 

 

As Thailand has more than once threatened to ban Facebook when it hasn't bowed to the government's demand for censorship. Funny.

[impulse]

On 4/15/2024 at 11:50 PM, NoDisplayName said:

Yes, you can use a VPN.  They are not illegal, but you need to have the app downloaded into your phone before arriving in China.  I used ExpressVPN for years in China, both on cellphone and laptop.

 

So did I, for years.  Post Covid, we got a phone call from the ISP on about my 3rd or 4th day back, saying someone on our network was using a VPN and that needed to stop.  YMMV, but that was warning enough for me. 

 

[NoDisplayName]

3 hours ago, Bangkok Barry said:

I really don't understand the blocking mindset, whether it's governments or broadcasters. It's so last century. Everyone knows about VPNs now and uses them.

 

It's not about blocking the sites completely, as the overlords understand that is impossible.  There will always be a way to circumvent the restrictions.

 

The idea is to make it so frustrating that most people will not bother, and will simply take the path of least resistance.

 

It's not illegal, nor prohibited.  It's so frustrating as to not be worth the effort.

[Bangkok Barry]

2 hours ago, NoDisplayName said:

 

It's not about blocking the sites completely, as the overlords understand that is impossible.  There will always be a way to circumvent the restrictions.

 

The idea is to make it so frustrating that most people will not bother, and will simply take the path of least resistance.

 

It's not illegal, nor prohibited.  It's so frustrating as to not be worth the effort.

 

I don't see much effort involved in actioning a VPN, do you? If you can open an email (or thread on AN) then you can open a VPN setting. It's hardly a frustrating experience.

[NoDisplayName]

2 hours ago, Bangkok Barry said:

 

I don't see much effort involved in actioning a VPN, do you? If you can open an email (or thread on AN) then you can open a VPN setting. It's hardly a frustrating experience.

 

First, you make it difficult to reach unapproved sites, necessitating a VPN.

 

Then you discourage use of VPN's and prohibit advertising thereof.  Not illegal, just hard to find and maintain.

 

Then you block search terms for VPN's and workarounds from the approved search engines.

 

Then of course you block the official, and mirror, VPN download sites.

 

And then you disrupt connections to the VPN's external server locations, either block completely or throttle to a slow crawl.

 

It's a constant game of VPN's adding servers and mirror sites, and the government adding more bricks to the great firewall.

 

Not always as easy as sending an email.  Even with constant upgrades and patches and new servers, the VPN's can't manage to keep up with the new tricks during party congresses.  So that's a couple weeks a year that it's nearly impossible to use your already installed and running VPN.

[Bangkok Barry]

1 minute ago, NoDisplayName said:

 

First, you make it difficult to reach unapproved sites, necessitating a VPN.

 

Then you discourage use of VPN's and prohibit advertising thereof.  Not illegal, just hard to find and maintain.

 

Then you block search terms for VPN's and workarounds from the approved search engines.

 

Then of course you block the official, and mirror, VPN download sites.

 

And then you disrupt connections to the VPN's external server locations, either block completely or throttle to a slow crawl.

 

It's a constant game of VPN's adding servers and mirror sites, and the government adding more bricks to the great firewall.

 

Not always as easy as sending an email.  Even with constant upgrades and patches and new servers, the VPN's can't manage to keep up with the new tricks during party congresses.  So that's a couple weeks a year that it's nearly impossible to use your already installed and running VPN.

 

Your experience appears to be the polar opposite of mine. I guess I'm lucky, for example, in knowing the names of V:PNs from countless social media and news posts. And rarely finding connections don't work.

[NoDisplayName]

1 minute ago, Bangkok Barry said:

 

Your experience appears to be the polar opposite of mine. I guess I'm lucky, for example, in knowing the names of V:PNs from countless social media and news posts. And rarely finding connections don't work.

 

Did you try to set up a VPN in China during the CCP congress?

[Bangkok Barry]

9 minutes ago, NoDisplayName said:

 

Did you try to set up a VPN in China during the CCP congress?

 

I have used a VPN in China, but not during the CCP congress.

[Paris333]

First when we are in a foreign country we respect the rules and Authorities because we are visitors which in China is not to insult communist manifesto Party a "mixed" of socialism with chinese "characteristics".

Second in Thailand is to respect the King of Thailand who is also religious leader and Royal Family as well as Authorities. 

Third in internet applications there are limits with some applications but you can "skip" the limits when you use VPN free provider as I do in order to download with torrent applications for my pc and to see porno movies because in Europe is a mixed of religious Evaggelical "Christians" with Protenstant -Catholic -Jahovah witnesss and it doesnt include Muslims Sehta civilians .....

[7euner]

In case you want to use google maps, it would be a good idea to download some offline maps, for the areas you need.