How to Bypass Internet Censorship with Proxies

Whether you’re traveling abroad, behind restrictive firewalls, or simply seeking true online freedom, internet censorship can feel insurmountable. In June 2025, Iran severed over 95% of its global internet access amid regional tensions—forcing millions onto the state‑run National Information Network (NIN). Proxies offer an accessible, scalable remedy: they mask your location, reroute traffic, and unlock blocked content. This guide explains how proxies work, reviews the main proxy types, and walks you through a clear, step‑by‑step setup so you can browse without limits.

Hot News: June 2025 Iran Internet Censorship

Picture from NETBLOCKS

What Happened

On June 13, 2025, Iran throttled or cut international links, reducing global connectivity by over 95% and forcing users onto the NIN.

Impact

Major platforms (Facebook, X, Telegram, Instagram) and essential services (online banking, GPS, app stores) were unreachable, demonstrating that national firewalls can snap shut at any moment.

Takeaway

This event underscores the urgency of having reliable censorship‑bypass tools at the ready—proxies being the most flexible and scalable solution.

Understanding Internet Censorship

Censorship takes many forms—national firewalls, workplace or school filters, and even geo‑restrictions on streaming platforms.

Common techniques include:

• IP Blocking: Denying requests from specific IP ranges.
• Deep Packet Inspection (DPI): Examining data packets for prohibited keywords or protocols.
• DNS Tampering: Redirecting or nullifying DNS lookups for banned domains.
• National Firewalls: Comprehensive systems (like Iran’s NIN) that combine all above methods.

Why Proxies Work

A proxy server acts between you and the wider internet, routing your traffic through its own IP address before reaching the target. This delivers two core benefits:

1. Location Spoofing

The proxy’s IP can be in any country, giving you a local presence where censorship is lighter or nonexistent.

2. Traffic Obfuscation

Some proxies encrypt or tunnel your traffic, making it harder for censors to detect banned connections.

Types of Proxies for Censorship Bypass

For robust circumvention—especially during large‑scale firewalls or blackouts—residential proxies offer the highest success rates.

Step-by-Step Proxy Setup Guide

1. Choose Your Proxy Provider

Select a reputable service with a high quality residential IP pool—such as OkeyProxy—for optimal reliability.

2. Obtain Connection Details

You’ll need the proxy server address, port number, and authentication credentials (username/password or token).

3. Configure Your Browser

Chrome/Firefox

• Go to Settings ▶ Network Settings ▶ Manual proxy configuration.
• Enter the proxy IP and port, then add your credentials.

Edge/Safari

• Update system-level network preferences under “Advanced ▶ Proxies.”

Configure System-Wide (Optional)

• On Windows: Control Panel ▶ Internet Options ▶ Connections ▶ LAN Settings ▶ Use a proxy server.
• On macOS: System Preferences ▶ Network ▶ Advanced ▶ Proxies.

4. Test Your Connection

Visit a site like whatismyip.com to confirm your visible IP matches the proxy. Access a previously blocked website to ensure it loads correctly.

Best Practices & Tips

Rotate IPs Regularly: Prevent long-term blocks by switching through a pool of proxies.

Use HTTPS Proxies: Encrypt data between you and the proxy to thwart DPI systems.

Combine with DNS over HTTPS (DoH): Further protect your DNS lookups from tampering.

Monitor Performance: Keep an eye on latency and success rates; replace underperforming IPs swiftly.

Stay Legal & Ethical: Respect local laws and ToS of sites you visit.

Conclusion

Proxies empower your ability to circumvent censorship and access the web on your own terms. The setup is straightforward, and the payoff is unrestricted connectivity. Don’t wait for the next blackout to cut you off—explore OkeyProxy’s ISP proxy plans today and unlock the internet without boundaries. Sign up and get a free trial now!