“This product is unavailable in your country” – why does this message appear?

5 min
smartphone with geo blocking

Many internet users around the world encounter the frustrating message This product is unavailable in your country, which effectively blocks access to certain content. This is the result of so-called geoblocking, which restricts access to content based on the user’s location. Fortunately, there is an effective solution to this problem that allows you to freely use the internet regardless of your location – a VPN network.

What exactly is geoblocking?

Geoblocking is a method used by platforms or websites that involves restricting or denying access to their services or content depending on your location. Of course, no one immediately knows your exact place of residence, but there are technologies that enable them to determine your approximate location.

The most important and commonly used technique is checking your IP address (Internet Protocol address). This is a unique identifier of your device on the network, which allows it to be located among billions of other devices and provides its approximate geographical location. Although the IP address does not contain detailed information such as street or house number, indicating the country is sufficient to apply geoblocking.

Unfortunately, you cannot hide your IP address when connecting to a website or service—they need to know it to know where to send the data you require. Therefore, if a service offers content only in the United Kingdom and detects that you are trying to access it from the USA, it will ignore your request (or respond, but then you will most likely see the well-known, albeit annoying message This content is unavailable in your country).

It is worth adding that geoblocking is not always associated with another country—sometimes your own country may block access to a specific site or platform. Such a situation occurred in Turkey, where the government blocked access to the Instagram platform throughout the country.

Why is content blocked in different countries?

Why does the message about content unavailability appear on websites? Usually, this results from the necessity to comply with restrictions that services must respect to be able to publish or provide, for example, video streaming. Both streaming platforms and VOD services like Netflix, Amazon Prime, Max, Disney+, as well as news portals such as ABC News, CNN, or Fox News, are obliged to purchase licences for publishing and displaying video materials. These licences often limit the possibility of broadcasting content only to the area of one country.

However, this is not the only reason why a film may be blocked in your location. Frequently, an internet creator, for various reasons, decides to limit access to their materials only to selected regions of the world. For private, business, or legal reasons (e.g., due to a court order), they may decide that their videos will be unavailable to users from specific countries or locations. Such actions are often taken by creators on platforms like YouTube, Vimeo, Dailymotion, as well as by musicians on Soundcloud.

You may also encounter blockage messages when trying to play music videos. In some countries, a significant portion of music videos is unavailable, and YouTube informs about this by displaying a message about the video’s unavailability in a given country. A good example is Germany, where for many years there was a dispute between YouTube and GEMA (the German organisation for collective management of copyright), resulting in almost complete unavailability of music on YouTube in that country.

Similar messages also appear on popular adult sites. Creators and producers of erotic content often make their materials available only to users from specific locations. The same approach is taken by some stars of services like PornHub or OnlyFans to protect their privacy.

How can you solve the problem of content blockage messages?

To solve the problem of the message “This video is unavailable in your country” and similar ones, it is worth using a VPN and changing your location. A VPN is a tool that allows you to quickly switch your IP address to one assigned to another country from which you want to connect to the Internet.

On a computer or smartphone, you need to install a dedicated application and then select a VPN server from the appropriate location. In this way, regardless of where you are, you can change your IP to a new one in a few moments, allowing you to virtually move around the world.

Other benefits of using a VPN

Bypassing geographical blocks is just one of the many benefits that come with using a VPN. There can be long discussions about how your Internet Service Provider monitors your online activities, or about who applies blocks and for what reasons. However, one thing is certain: a VPN effectively helps in circumventing censorship imposed by governments. In this way, a VPN not only protects against censorship but also ensures full security of your data from unwanted access.

Moreover, the place where you are can affect the prices of products and services you want to purchase. This phenomenon is called price discrimination. Fortunately, a VPN allows you to save money because the website “thinks” you are someone else (as long as you don’t log into your account). In this way, applying unfair pricing practices becomes more difficult.

Furthermore, your personal data has great value to data brokers who profit from selling it. Those most interested in using information about your online activity are advertisers who try to sell you everything possible. However, with a VPN, you can effectively hide your traces on the web and regain the privacy you deserve.

benefits of using vpn

What features should a VPN service have?

Not all VPN networks are equally good at accessing content from other countries. There are many aspects that can be evaluated and compared, from encryption strength to privacy features and data storage policies. To choose the best VPN network, it’s worth focusing on the most important elements that matter the most. We have simplified this process by presenting below a list of the most significant criteria that will help you find a reliable, fast, and secure VPN network.

  • Solid reputation – Is your VPN network trustworthy? Choosing services with a good reputation is the first step towards data protection.
  • Extensive server network – To access content unavailable in your country, it is essential to have many servers located in regions where that content is available.
  • Advanced security – Does the VPN offer an automatic kill switch function and DNS leak protection? What about additional security features? The more options, the better.
  • Software compatibility – It is important that the VPN software is available on all your devices, allowing for effective bypassing of geographical blocks.
  • No-logs policy – Some VPN networks may log your activity. To prevent this, select a service that applies a no-logs policy.

TuxlerVPN — Protect Your Data and Access Blocked Content

TuxlerVPN is a great option that provides full anonymity by using IP addresses located in private regions, making them practically untraceable. With this service, you can freely browse any content and websites, bypassing all geographical blocks. The military-grade encryption offered by TuxlerVPN guarantees the highest level of protection and privacy. Moreover, a wide range of millions of locations worldwide allows for comfortable use of the internet, regardless of where you are. TuxlerVPN is the best solution available on the market. Download your VPN application today!

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