How to detect if a website is blocking you by region

When you're browsing peacefully and suddenly you get the message "this content is not available in your region", the feeling is one of real anger. That invisible wall is the famous regional web blocking or geo-blocking, an increasingly widespread practice on streaming platforms, cloud gaming servicesonline banks and even media outlets. And it's not just annoying: it also affects the prices you see, the information you access, and what you can do when you travel.

Beyond the typical example of Netflix, The regional blocking mixes legal issues, copyright, regulation, censorship, and security.Understanding what it is, how it works, and what tools exist to circumvent it (within the bounds of the law) is key to regaining some digital freedom and, incidentally, improving your online privacy.

What is regional web blocking or geoblocking?

Regional blocking, geoblocking, or geographic blocking is the A technique by which a website or online service limits access to its content based on the country or region from which you connect.In practice, this means that a video, an app, an online store, or even a social network can be available in one territory and completely banned in another.

These restrictions are usually still in place national borders or groups of countries with common regulations (like the European Union). The objective can be as innocent as respecting film licensing agreements, or as aggressive as censoring news, social media, or websites critical of a government.

Many commercial platforms, such as streaming services, digital stores, or betting websites, use this system to adapt your offer and comply with local lawsBut it is also used to manipulate prices depending on the region or to prevent you from buying from a website in another country where something is cheaper.

Why geoblocking is used: legal, commercial and censorship reasons

The reasons for applying web blocking by region are varied. Each sector has its own excuses (and obligations) for blocking or filtering users by countrybut they can almost always be summarized in these large groups.

Copyright and content licenses

In the audiovisual and musical world, geoblocking is practically the norm. Movies, series, sports broadcasts, or music catalogs are usually licensed by territory.This means that a platform may have permission to broadcast a series in Spain and France, but not in Mexico or Argentina.

Services such as Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, Disney+, HBO Max, YouTube, or sports platforms They negotiate different agreements depending on the country.If a television channel in a territory buys the exclusive rights to a league or a series, the other platforms are obliged to block that content there in order not to breach the contract.

Regulatory compliance, sanctions and local laws

Another big reason has to do with the laws. Certain financial services, online casinos, betting sites, or cryptocurrency exchanges use geoblocking to comply with national regulations.If a country prohibits certain activities (for example, online gambling or certain financial products), companies directly block access from those IPs.

This also happens with data protection regulations such as the European GDPR. Many websites from outside the EU, especially small or medium-sized ones, have chosen to block European users. before adapting their entire legal and technical infrastructure to the General Data Protection Regulation. Result: you try to access it from Spain and you're met with a lovely "not available in your region" screen.

Censorship and control of information

In authoritarian regimes, geoblocking is, directly, a tool of censorship and social controlGovernments such as those of China, Russia, Iran, or North Korea block social networks, international media, video platforms, messaging apps, and any website they consider "dangerous" to the official narrative.

The best-known example is the Chinese “Great Firewall”, a set of filters, IP blocking, deep packet inspection (DPI), and other techniques that prevent access to thousands of Western websites. In these contexts, circumventing geo-blocking isn't just a whim to watch series: it's a matter of access to information for journalists, activists, and ordinary citizens.

Market segmentation and dynamic pricing

Geoblocking is not just about laws and censorship. Many online businesses use it to refine their business strategy by country.Travel websites, airlines, hotels, software stores, and digital video game retailers adjust prices based on region, average purchasing power, and local competition.

This is known as dynamic pricing or geographical discrimination: The same product can cost more or less depending on where you connect from.Sometimes, if you try to access the store in another country to save a few euros, the website redirects you to the local version or simply denies you access.

Security and fraud prevention

In sectors such as banking or cryptocurrencies, regional blocking is also used to reduce risks of fraud, money laundering or suspicious accessSome banks restrict access to online banking from certain "high-risk" countries or require additional verification steps if they detect a foreign IP address.

Something similar happens in the crypto world: Some exchanges block users from the United States, Iran, North Korea, or other sanctioned countries. to avoid regulatory issues. Conversely, some territories block access to platforms that do not comply with local laws; there are even shared initiatives, such as the online security alliance.

How region blocking works: IP, DNS, GPS, and more

To block you based on your country, a service first needs to know where you're connecting from. That's the crux of the matter. Your location can be inferred through several technical meanssome simpler than others.

IP address: the main key to geoblocking

Almost everything starts with the IP address. Your IP address is like the "license plate" of your internet connectionIt allows the data to find your device and, at the same time, reveals what country (and even approximate city) you are in.

Your internet service provider (ISP) assigns you an IP address from its own ranges. These ranges are associated with specific countries and operators and are listed in public and private databases.When you visit a website, the server looks at your IP address, compares it with a geolocation database, and if it belongs to a blocked area, it closes the door to you.

The typical process is something like this: You access a site, the server checks your IP address, matches it with a location, and if it doesn't match the allowed areas, they don't send you the content. (or they give you an error message like "not available in your region").

DNS, WebRTC, and other filtering methods

The IP address is not the only clue. Some services go a little deeper and use additional data to refine the detection of your location. or to catch those who try to sneak in any old VPN.

• DNS ServersBy default, you usually use your ISP's DNS servers, which are typically associated with a specific country. Some websites check which DNS servers you're using as an extra clue to your location.
• WebRTC: technology used for video calls and VoIP in the browser. It can also filter network information that reveals your real IP address.even if you're using a misconfigured VPN.
• Deep Package Inspection (DPI)It analyzes the content of data packets. It is very powerful, but consumes a lot of resources, so it is usually seen in contexts of state censorship or large providers.
• Payment detailsSome services look the billing address or the country of the card to limit purchases from other regions or to prevent price arbitrage.
• GPS data and device locationOn mobile phones and tablets, many apps request access to your location. If you accept, the GPS will reveal your position with great accuracy.And that's hard to fake.
• Latency, router hops, and other network indicatorsBy measuring response times and routes, it's possible to estimate whether you're actually in the area you claim. This is uncommon because it's expensive to implement on a large scale.

Alongside all this, some services add layers of artificial intelligence that They look for inconsistencies between IP address, browser language, time zone, or connection type.especially for hunting down cheap VPNs or widely used public proxies.

Clear examples of web blocking by region

Geoblocking is so widespread that you've probably already encountered several cases without realizing it. These are some of the most typical examples in different sectors.

Streaming services: Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, Disney+…

Platforms like Netflix or Amazon Prime Video are the textbook example. They operate in dozens of countries, but the catalog you see depends entirely on your IP address.Series, films, and documentaries appear or disappear according to the licensing agreements of each region.

A series may be available on Netflix in the United States but not in Spain, or a movie that you watch in your country may only be available elsewhere through a traditional pay channel. The same service, but with different libraries and blocks by country..

YouTube and regional video restrictions

On YouTube the system is somewhat different because anyone can upload videos. Creators who own the rights to content can specify in which countries it is allowed to be viewed.If your IP address is not on that list, the video will appear as unavailable.

In addition, rights holders (record labels, studios, sports leagues…) They can claim videos uploaded by third parties and force them to be blocked in certain regions or worldwide. That's why sometimes a concert clip or a sporting event works in one country but not in another.

Live sports and exclusive broadcasts

Sports broadcasts are a festival of blocking. Football leagues, basketball leagues, baseball leagues, Formula 1, and the Olympics sell broadcasting rights by territory.Each operator pays for a country or group of countries and, in return, competition forces them to geoblock content in the rest.

Apps like MLB TV, for example, can prevent you from watching specific matches if you are within the area where they are already broadcast on cable.And the Olympics will be broadcast with different priorities depending on the country, blocking broadcasts from other foreign networks to respect contracts.

E-commerce and price differences

In online stores, blocking is not always so obvious. Many websites detect your IP address to send you to a local version with language, currency, taxes, and catalog adjusted to your country.In some cases, they directly prevent you from buying from outside a specific region.

Although in the European Union the Unjustified geoblocking of purchases of goods between member countries is prohibitedHowever, there are still cases where certain products, promotions, or services are only shown to users in a specific region. Outside the EU, the differences can be enormous.

Data protection laws and blocking under GDPR

After the GDPR came into effect in Europe, many websites—especially American ones—made a very simple decision: block all traffic from the EUIn this way, they avoided having to adapt cookie policies, forms, consents and other obligations.

If you are browsing from Spain, you may have come across a message like "our service is not available in countries of the European Economic Area". It's not that they're not interested in European users, it's that they don't want to deal with regulation..

Financial services and cryptocurrencies

In online banking and payment services, it is common that There are access restrictions from certain regionsA bank may block logins from countries with a high fraud rate or require additional verification when it detects an access attempt from abroad.

In cryptocurrency exchanges, the regional blocking is even clearer: Some platforms do not accept customers from the United States or from countries subject to sanctions.and filter by IP address and by verification documentation (KYC) to comply with regulations.

Social networks and media

Platforms such as Facebook, Instagram, X (Twitter) or TikTok Sometimes they restrict access to certain content depending on the country.This may be due to compliance with local laws or government pressure. Although the network itself is available, certain posts, accounts, or videos may be blocked in a specific region.

Services like BBC iPlayer or some European public channels restrict their live and on-demand streaming only to users within the corresponding country, both through licenses and through public funding linked to national taxpayers.

Is website blocking by region legal?

From the perspective of businesses and states, Geoblocking is generally perfectly legal.It is a way to enforce license agreements, comply with penalties, respect copyright laws, or adapt services to specific regulatory frameworks.

The Council of the European Union only considers the practice problematic when unjustifiably prevents citizens of one Member State from purchasing goods or services in another within the Single MarketThat is why unjustified geoblocking in e-commerce was banned within the EU, with some exceptions (for example, many audiovisual contents still have their own regulation).

In terms of social networks, media and online content, each country It is sovereign to decide what is legal or illegal within its bordersIn liberal democracies there is usually more protection for freedom of expression, while in authoritarian countries the mass geoblocking of platforms and entire websites is completely legal according to their own internal rules.

Is it legal to bypass the regional blockade?

The thorny issue arises when we talk about circumventing geoblocking. Using tools like VPNs, proxies, or smart DNS is legal in most parts of the worldHowever, your specific use of them may conflict with laws or terms of service.

For example, logging into your Netflix account while traveling to continue watching what you pay for in your home country is usually tolerated, even though it may technically violate some clause. It's a completely different matter to use these tools to access content that is clearly illegal in your jurisdiction. (prohibited gambling, illicit material, etc.) or to commit crimes.

In addition, many streaming services, banks, or gaming platforms include in their terms that They do not allow the use of VPNs or IP masking methodsIt's not common for them to go beyond blocking your access, but it's worth being aware that in those cases you could be violating their terms of service.

How to bypass regional web blocking: main methods

There are several tools to bypass geoblocking, each with its own advantages and disadvantages. The most commonly used are VPNs, smart DNS, proxies, and the Tor network, in addition to some specific apps for spoofing location on mobile phones.

VPN (Virtual Private Network)

A VPN creates an encrypted “tunnel” between your device and the internet. Instead of connecting directly to the sites, you connect to a remote VPN serverAnd it is that server that communicates with the destination website.

From the outside, what you see is the VPN server's IP address, not yours. If you choose a server in another country, it will appear as if you are browsing from there.This allows you to bypass most IP-based regional blocks. At the same time, all your traffic is encrypted, making it harder to track and protecting your data on public Wi-Fi networks.

The best VPNs offer:

• Extensive server network in many countriesto choose a location almost à la carte.
• High-level encryption (AES-256 type, banking and military standard).
• Simple applications for Windows, macOS, Android, iOS, Linux, Smart TV, routers, etc.
• DNS and WebRTC leak prevention measuresso that your real IP address doesn't slip through the net due to carelessness.

The big "but" is that Streaming platforms and some ISPs block known VPN IP rangesThat's why free VPNs tend to be short-lived: they're easy to spot. More reputable paid solutions frequently rotate IP addresses and use techniques to disguise VPN traffic, but there's never a complete guarantee, especially with services constantly racing against these tools.

Smart DNS

Smart DNS is an alternative designed almost exclusively for circumventing geographical restrictions on very specific services, usually for streaming. Instead of encrypting your entire connection, it redirects only certain DNS requests through special servers to "trick" the platforms about your location.

The advantage is that It doesn't add encryption or tunneling, so the speed is usually better than with a VPN. And it works great on Smart TVs, consoles, and devices where installing a VPN app can be a hassle.

The drawback is clear: It does not protect your privacy or hide your real IP address.It simply modifies how your device resolves addresses so that services think you're in a different region. It's great for unlocking video catalogs, but not for anonymous browsing.

Proxy servers

A proxy is an intermediary between your browser and the internet. You connect to the proxy, and the proxy connects to the webFrom the site's point of view, the request is coming from the proxy's IP address, not yours.

This can help bypass some simple geo-blocks, but proxies have several significant drawbacks: They don't encrypt your traffic, they usually only affect the browser (not the rest of the apps), and many services detect and block IPs from public proxies..

For occasional use on websites without much monitoring, they might be fine, and many are free. But As a primary tool for accessing restricted content and, above all, for improving your privacy, they fall far short..

Tor (The Onion Router)

Tor It's a project focused on anonymity. Your browser routes your connection through multiple nodes spread around the world, adding layer upon layer of encryption (hence the "onion" reference). The result is that it's extremely difficult to trace your true origins.

With Tor you can bypass certain geographical blocks and state censorship, but it has two clear limitations: It's very slow for streaming and large downloads., and most large platforms directly block the most well-known exit nodes.

Therefore, although it is an excellent tool for access information in heavily censored countries and protect your identityIt's not the most practical thing if you want to watch Netflix from another country or live matches without interruptions.

Change or falsify the device's location

On Android and iOS mobile devices, there are apps and tools capable of simulate another GPS locationSome are used for geolocation-based games, others to trick apps that apply strict restrictions based on real coordinates.

There are also browsers and applications that allow manually set an approximate location for testing or development. However, this is usually not enough to bypass serious geo-blocks, because most services rely much more on IP and network information.

Geographic blocking as a defense against high-risk regions

Not all geoblocking is used against you. From a cybersecurity perspective, blocking by region can reduce risks for a company or service.There are countries or areas with very lax legal frameworks against cybercrime, where servers used for phishing, malware or mass attacks abound.

In those cases, some organizations choose to completely block traffic from certain IP rangesor prevent users from resolving domains hosted in regions considered high-risk. This blocks many threats even before traditional security tools detect them.

The problem is that this strategy can also excluding legitimate users connecting from those areas or people who travelAs with almost everything in security, it's a balance between protection, accessibility, and user experience.

In an environment where there is increasingly more restricted content, services blocked by country, censorship disguised as legality, and cybercrime campaigns hosted in certain regions, understanding what regional web blocking is, how it is applied, and what tools exist to manage it gives you a huge advantage. Mastering concepts like IP, VPN, smart DNS, proxies, Tor, or geofencing allows you to decide when it's worth accepting the block, when you can try to bypass it, and what the legal and privacy implications of each choice are..