When you're dealing with heavy state-level censorship (like the Great Firewall of China or recent blocks in Russia and Iran), standard VPN protocols like OpenVPN or WireGuard often get blocked instantly. Censors use Deep Packet Inspection (DPI) to look at data packets, spot VPN signatures, and cut the connection.

To bypass this, you need censorship-resistant VPNs or tools that use obfuscation—essentially wrapping your VPN traffic so it looks like normal web browsing (HTTPS).

Here is a breakdown of the best tools and protocols for breaking through tough censorship.