Kik is a messaging application that is primarily intended for mobile device users. An interesting phenomenon regarding the company is that their product has achieved popularity regionally only, as opposed to a more worldwide presence. Kik really put its foot down among the American underage youth, but elsewhere it is still stuck in a bog. Perhaps because of this lack of international popularity or relevance, the application is not blocked that often. In the countries where it is though, Kik is just treated as another obstacle to deny from the public. To counteract this… well – act, we would like to present the least hectic, but rather eclectic solution below: Virtual Private Networks (VPN).
First, we would like to address that since Kik is the most popular among the underage population of the USA, there is a bit of dodgy history surrounding the app on the counts of the exploitation of minors. Therefore, there are a good number of public Wi-Fi hotspots that block the app, even if it is available in the country by law (though we are still referring to the USA primarily).
In terms of more widespread restrictions, some countries do not allow Kik entirely. These are some with the most strict online policies and also ban other similar software. China, North Korea, Iran, along with other middle-eastern countries like the United Arab Emirates or Kuwait regularly block these applications. In our opinion, there are two main reasons for this. First, that all of the listed countries’ leaders want the respective inhabitants to live by more strict cultural codes, or even isolate themselves from the rest of the world (like North Korea). Some Islamic religious schools consider the multicultural nature of platforms like Kik to be inappropriate and thus proceed to ban it. Both local and regional restrictions are completely bypassed by a VPN.
The second reason why the app is not wanted (and also why it causes controversy in the U.S.) is because it is free to download. Children don’t have to ask for money (or permission) to get Kik, which apparently greatly contributed to its spread in the states.
Applications like Kik are quite simple to unblock, no matter the type of restriction. The aforementioned eclectic nature of a VPN service comes from its two main functions. The first is how a VPN provides access. The method is simple: swapping your device’s IP address to other countries’ identifiers. This will let you view all and any website your place of residence does not let you, but keep in mind that the country you connect to also has restrictions. Therefore, we suggest connecting to the most free areas online, like Estonia, Switzerland or Iceland.
The second function is protecting this connection. Encryptions are responsible for keeping you safe – they hide your presence online and also your actions. L2TP is generally recommended for mobile devices, but the OpenVPN type encryption is also a go-to option.
To mention an alternative, smart DNS is another type of access service. This however is not necessarily designed for chatting online with Kik. Rather, smart DNS is best used for streaming. In this case you are dealing with DNS address swapping, not the IP address. Technically this still makes it possible to use Kik in otherwise restricted territories, but you will not be protected by encryptions.
IPVanish made a strong entrance as a VPN service provider in 2012, long before VPNs became so common, and it’s been further improving its service ever since. Fundamentally, this solution specializes in providing customers with secure and encrypted internet connections across all devices.
Offering customers an impressive 2,200 servers worldwide to choose from, IPVanish is both comprehensive and reliable. It’s also one of the few VPN providers that manage a big portion of its infrastructure in-house, owning 80% of its servers and only using self-developed software for its service. This reduces the company’s reliance on third parties, making it an even more trustworthy option.
As one of the strongest VPNs on the market, IPVanish also boasts a vast range of features that not only provide faster speeds but also permit a custom encryption level and all other elements of a VPN connection. With prices starting as low as $2.99 per month, users certainly get a lot for their money.
First of all, please do not feel intimidated: the perhaps vulgar name of the UK-based company is intended to be a pun. HMA VPN has a mascot in the form of a donkey, and thus this little wordplay is nothing to worry about. You should rather pay attention to the fact that HMA VPN is easily one of the best VPN companies today; they offer much more than a standard package. You are also welcome to try out the free web proxy, an anonymous e-mail service and an IP:Port premium service, which is essentially a more elaborate proxy product. On top of this, you also have VPN browser extensions for Chrome and Mozilla to use. HMA VPN does all this while still maintaining decent speeds and healthy prices. These are coupled with the fact that HMA VPN remains one of few providers who still enable access to Netflix. But the most impressive thing about this organization is the number of locations provided – it is unprecedented today.
is a fresh, new UK company that started out in the latter half of 2015. Operated by Pseudio Ltd DBA, they are actually very well equipped for long-term business and to help a great number of people get to safe internet access with less restrictions. An excellent selling point to the company’s services is that you can acquire it for free, permanently, though with some limitations. It is the Premium plan that contains the full package. The general circumstances for VPN usage are all there for Total VPN. However, there are a few missteps and inconsistencies that still linger, but no one service is perfect. This is already a worthy buy – when given some time to mature, things will only get better.
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