Brief History of Blogspot
Blogspot is one of the oldest blogging sites on the Internet; eying its 20th birthday in August 2019. It’s been owned by Google since 2003, which should lend no surprise why China blocks it – Google is not a friend of China’s censorship campaigns. Blogspot is available in 60 languages.
Censorship of Blogspot
China is hardly the only country in the world censoring Blogspot. It is also partially or completely blocked in:
Cuba Fiji India Iran Kazakhstan Kyrgyzstan Pakistan Russia Syria Turkey Vietnam Yemen
Most of these countries block Blogspot for religious, political, or ethical reasons.
How to view Blogspot in China with a VPN
A VPN works by connecting your computer or mobile device to a remote server located outside of China’s jurisdiction. That computer then sends your requests on to the Internet. Because you’re not actually connecting to the Internet in China, Chinese protocol cannot block you from those websites. When you download information, such as opening a Blogspot post, it passes to the remote server first, and then to your computer, where the VPN client downloads it.
Qualities of a Good VPN for China
China has serious security in place for illegal usage of the Internet and the repercussions can be stiff depending on who you are and what you might get caught doing. When researching a VPN to invest in while visiting China, here are several things to look for:
Customer Support The best VPNs will have round-the-clock customer support in place via email, chat, or phone to ensure that your needs are met regardless of what time zone you are in. Given China’s thorny security, these sort of experts can be integral in keeping your connection up and your privacy insured. Security Protocol Encryption itself is great, but you need more bells and whistles if you’re going to navigate China’s turf successfully. A kill switch, which severs your Internet connection should the VPN drop, is essential. A no-logs policy protects you legally, and thinks like DNS leak protection can also help you remain anonymous. Lots and lots of servers China’s a big place, and the farther you are into the interior, the farther away from anywhere else you are. Having multiple servers available from nearby countries enhances your chances of getting a good signal and reduces your latency times as well.
Best VPNs for China
1ExpressVPN
ExpressVPN is one of the best all-around offerings out there and has proven success in censorship-heavy countries like Russia and China. It’s a great VPN for Windows users who want to stream the likes of Netflix and Hulu as well. It has 3000+ servers and uses AES 256-bit encryptions for all of its connections.
2Private Internet Access (PIA) VPN
Private Internet Access (PIA) VPN often has to play from behind because it’s located in the United States, but it still offers major league security and protection from the things VPN users fear the most. It has more than 35000 servers and great security features including top-level encryptions, DNS leak protection, and a kill switch. Despite its US origin, it enforces a strict no-logs policy as well.
