How I unblocked Google Bard in Canada

VPN
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You could have noticed how some AI tools are off-limits lately. Well, Google Bard is one of them, and it’s been unavailable in Canada since July 2023. Funny enough, that was the summer when I worked remotely from Canada.

I am an avid user of Google products in my daily tasks, so having Bard’s seamlessly smooth integration was a game changer for me. That’s why I looked for ways to unblock it ASAP back in the day.

Hence I want to share this tip with you if you’re in Canada and want to try or get your access back to Google Bard. There is an easy way to unblock it with a VPN.

What is Google Bard?

If you’re in this sub, I don’t need to explain to you (hopefully). BUT. Essentially, Google Bard is an AI-driven chatbot, much like ChatGPT, but it’s got some unique features. Generally speaking, its biggest advantage is that it provides answers to search queries using the most up-to-date information (whereas the free ChatGPT version (3.5) includes data only until January 2022 and the paid one (ChatGPT-4) - until April 2023).

But in my opinion, what sets it apart from ChatGPT is its ability to access and summarize content from web links – a capability currently lacking in free ChatGPT. Although ChatGPT has come out with a major update, it still is behind when I want to summarize articles or access the internet overall. But even with the paid ChatGPT version, 90% of the links I put in - won’t be accessed for some reason, hence Bard wins

How to unblock Google Bard with a VPN:

Tbh, I could have gone about my day with ChatGPT or pay for the ChatGPT-4 if you want all the functionalities but nothing would make me pay 20$ for that, sorry.

The easiest trick to accessing Google Bard in Canada is through a VPN. By connecting to a VPN server in a country where Google Bard is available (the U.S. is a good example, it isn’t blocked there still), you can bypass this restriction.

Choosing the VPN:

I already had a NordVPN acc on myself but if you’ll be selecting a VPN to unblock Google Bard specifically, I suggest considering these factors:

  • Speed: A high-speed VPN ensures a seamless Google Bard experience without lags.
  • Specialty Servers: Opt for VPNs with Obfuscated Servers, especially if the restrictions are stringent. These servers are designed to conceal your VPN use.
  • Protocols: Look for VPNs offering the WireGuard protocol, which is known for its speed and reliability.
  • No-logs Policy: Choose a VPN that doesn’t keep logs of your online activities. This is crucial for maintaining privacy when accessing services like Google Bard in regions where it’s restricted.

I’ve personally started with Surfshark and moved to NordVPN after the sub ended (plus, Nord had a 75% discount with a code quickdeal). Both are top-notch, but NordVPN offers a slightly better experience, particularly in terms of speed (the slowdown wasn’t too bad, it didn’t make me experience major lagging).

You can compare them both (and the others) in the VPN comparison table on r/vpnreviews as an example.

Why is Google Bard unavailable in Canada?

Officially as of now, Google Bard isn’t available in Canada due to “regulatory uncertainty,” likely connected to debates over the Online News Act. But what’s important to remember is that this restriction isn’t unique to Canada – other countries facing similar bans include China, Belarus, Russia, North Korea, and Iran.

It’s part of a broader trend as countries grapple with the implications of advanced AI technologies and the need for appropriate legislative frameworks. I believe that once AI tools master and update further, we will see more similar bans, unfortunately.

My closing thoughts:

I think as countries continue to draft and revise their digital laws, AI tools like Google Bard might face various levels of restrictions in other countries too. But for now, using a VPN is the best workaround for Canadians wanting to explore Google Bard’s capabilities.

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What a long post to just say “VPN”

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Did you use Bard to write this?

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Paying for those AI tools is nonsense. Canadians, listen up!!

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With opera browser (android), you can use a specific VPN connection for this app only. So I add shortcut for Bard URL with opera and I can use Bard without worrying about my general VPN connection on my phone. I don’t use opera for anything else.

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Damn, ChatGPT was only launched so recently but it already feels irreplaceable

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Why would you ever want to support Google as Canadian? They put us on a list with Afghanistan and North Korea and are trying to strong arm our government into bending the knee and allow them to disregard the new Canadian news media law.

Fuck Google. They can suck my dick. I’ll stick to Bing until they apologize and start following Canadian law instead of calling us terrorists and disregarding our legal system completely.

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once you get the subscription, vpn works on other geo-locked things, right?

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$20 is cheap. I’ll stick with gpt

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You could also set up a VPN just for bard’s website with Browsec (Free). Fun fact, Bard told me to do this.

https://chromewebstore.google.com/detail/omghfjlpggmjjaagoclmmobgdodcjboh

This is much better than having a paid VPN for everything when you only want to use Bard

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Little off topic here but it looks like we have some experts here… is there a good AI that can analyze excel spreadsheets?

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So Canada, along with China Belarus, Russia, North Korea and Iran are few countries where Bard was not introduced due to regulatory uncertainty.

Good to see Canada put where it truly belongs

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I have a VPN but it still asks me to verify with a phone number. Krispcall wants $12 a month to get a fake UK number…I need a free phone verification method. Help!

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But you have to pay $20 for NordVPN then, what’s the difference? I’m using https://superguardvpn.com to unblock Google Bard and it works great.
It’s pure WireGuard without any customization. Much more trustworthy than those big VPNs.

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Because of Liberals and NDP,. Google put Canada in the same list as Russia, China, and North Korea. Time to change the government.

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> But what’s important to remember is that this restriction isn’t unique to Canada – other countries facing similar bans include China, Belarus, Russia, North Korea, and Iran.

So it has come down to this, eh? Canada standing in the same league as China, Belarus, Russia, North Korea, and Iran. That is not a list you would want to be on as a democracy.

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I noticed the other countries involved are either communist or terrorist supported. I think Trudeau has a lot to do with it and needs to go! NOW!

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Why no Canada google? You’ve expanded to like… 80% of the globe… I feel so sad.

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Nice informative post and I appreciate that. However, I have one question that you talked about all reg. related issues for Bard in Canada and other countries and due to which it is not available.

WHY CHAT GPT IS AVAILABLE AND WHY CHAT GPT DID NOT FACE THESE REG. CHALLENGES IN CANADA?

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Post? It’s AI GENERATED text lol