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You can fight back at multiple levels and this article will direct you to some concrete examples of how to avoid network service bans, proxy bans, and application store bans. The Internet was designed to be “free” and connect users all over the world without limitations or restrictions. What many people forget is that service agreements or user policies are simply terms of use and not legal limitations and so with a little knowledge, you can restore the balance of power to yourself and avoid bans that seek to restrict your freedom of expression and sharing of information.

Free is a Two-Way Street

The fundamental properties of the Internet were designed to facilitate freedom, sharing, and information exchange. After more than 30 years, layers of technology have been stacked on top of that fundamental design to limit sharing and information exchange in a way that only benefits service providers, governments, and application developers. For instance, your smart phone creates a one-way flow of commerce and information designed to benefit everyone but you, the user. That flow of information starts at your Service Provider, continues to platform providers, trickles down to application developers, and reverses flow each time you reach your destination. All the while being stored, by law, in multiple databases accessible at any time by government authorities. Don’t be fooled into thinking government intrusion is about your politics: both the Trump administration and the Biden administration have tried using common internet traffic to scrutinize citizens.

Avoid the Ban

At the core of internet bans is the idea that you can be identified by geography based on your IP Address. The first step in avoiding bans is to disguise your location from those who would seek to limit your ability to share your experiences or information. To avoid any ban you need to understand what those watching you can easily see, so take a minute and find out. You don’t have to be Edward Snowden to avoid being tracked on the Internet – just use this guide for Simple Everyday Internet Privacy. Once you have mastered the basics, there are many techniques you can use to avoid bans of internet resources. You have to realize the irony in the idea your information sharing should be limited in a modern economy built on selling your data!

The Other side of the Two-Way Street

Open up the flow of benefits to you by utilizing technology as it was designed – to thwart censorship, avoid bans, circumvent disruptions, and undermine autocratic regimes. For less than $50, a few hours of tinkering, and some dedication, you can set up your own home-made privacy proxy using a Raspberry Pi and Open Source Software. While this won’t hide your IP Address it is a good first step and will help thwart a great deal of common tracking threats. A Virtual Private Network (VPN) is a great tool to avoid bans but has the downside of being a single bottleneck for everything you do (that you want to keep private). There is no perfect solution, it is just a matter of being informed and making the investment of time and money that is right for your needs.

Using Tor to Avoid Bans

Tor is a fairly sophisticated tool designed to extend the powers of the original Internet and its ability to help everyday users avoid bans at the network level. Tor is an effective tool recommended by lots of respected sources for anyone who wants to protect their privacy. You can get started with Tor today in mere minutes. Tor helps restore the original freedoms of the Internet and ensuring that nearly everyone, everywhere can avoid bans – and that is why we built the AMENDMENT1. Here are two examples of how the AMENDMENT1 can avoid the streaming proxy ban and how the AMENDMENT1 can avoid the TikTok ban.