What do you think of geographic restrictions on the Internet?

Interesting article that I found in Mastersofweb, in which we are invited to reflect on the ridiculousness imposed by some websites that prevent access to certain content depending on the geographic location of the visitor. Ultimately, the Internet was designed to facilitate access to information, not to make it more difficult or reduce it to a privileged elite, right? What is your opinion on the subject? Leave us your comments ...

Who still remembers the romantic idea of ​​the Information Super Highway before the .com boom? Yes, the one where humanity would have all the knowledge at hand and the power to communicate with anyone, no matter where it is on the planet. The Internet has changed a lot since then: Wikipedia is a benchmark in terms of content of acceptable quality, while services such as Twitter, Facebook, Skype and email communicate us instantly. Almost a world full of rainbows of web bliss.

But there is still something that bothers me (to put it in some way) about the current Internet, and it is the geographical restrictions to consult certain content. Who has not ever come across that ad on YouTube?

Or maybe they wanted to see a Hulu video?

OK those are free services, what if giving them my money I can spend? For example Amazon Video on Demand.

Spotify, a service that I love and that I would gladly pay for:

… And so I could cite many more examples. Obviously something is wrong, the purpose of them being on the Internet is for anyone to see, right? Unfortunately things are much more complicated for media stores, as you have to deal with the labels, and the laws of your countries before opening the store. That part of the internet that is still controlled by guys in suits and on office hours.

It's even more ironic that the DVD or CD is so much easier to buy than the digital version (at Amazon). To buy the digital version, it is not enough to have the IP address in a certain country, but also the credit card with which you pay. It is wanting to give them your money and still not accept it.

What is funny is that many of these Labels and Producers are the ones that complain about the illegal copying of their content, when they themselves do not provide a (digital) platform to buy their content, as an acquaintance commented:

How funny life is, there is an album by an artist that I liked, I wanted to buy it, I registered in 3 “exclusive” stores that have it, none of them sell me the download of the album for my region, so I got off at The Pirate Bay.

Sure there are many people who would pay for these contents, if they were available from their countries and at reasonable prices. Obviously there will always be those who want everything for free on the Internet.

Signs this is going to change? Well, I doubt it: Knowing the record companies and similar organizations that see the Internet as an enemy, rather than an opportunity; in a few years we hope to see other alternatives. On the other hand, I was pleased to learn that last month Paypal already allows you to receive payments to accounts in Guatemala and other countries (previously restricted).

Source: Mastersofweb