New AI features such as OpenAI's Operator or Sora tend to only be available in the US or block the EU for months after their release. I tried and reviewed Operator over the last few days, and since I live in Europe, I thought I would share my approach.
Basic setup: A simple VPN
The short answer is that you'll need a VPN that masks your IP with an American one. I personally pay for ProtonVPN (not an affiliate link, nothing is on this blog), but they also have a free plan with free servers in the USA. I think they are one of the best providers out there.
Just install the VPN application, and you should have access to OpenAI's Operator or Sora. This approach, however, has a limitation...
Advanced setup: Using a VPN in a browser
If you set up a VPN app, all the traffic from your computer usually goes through the VPN. For this purpose, it's actually a pain as you're going to be getting CAPTCHAs all over the place. It's also slowing your internet connection down as you are adding thousands of kilometers of detours for your internet traffic.
A better solution is to set up a browser exclusively for the purpose of going around geographical restrictions. ProtonVPN has browser extensions for Firefox and Google Chrome (compatible with any browser that is based on Chrome such as Edge, Opera, Brave, etc.).
So what I would recommend is installing one of those browsers, adding the ProtonVPN extension, and then using it exclusively for the purpose of using tools that aren't available yet in your country. This way, the rest of your computer stays snappy, and you don't get a deluge of CAPTCHAs.
Some thoughts on geo-restrictions
Personally, I tend to be opposed to those blocks. OpenAI and other big companies are required to implement them because their services might not be compliant at launch with regulations in other countries. However, this approach limits individual freedoms too drastically. I understand that by visiting the English website of an American business, I won't fall under the same regulations as a French or German alternative. That's common sense. Individuals should be able to decide for themselves whether or not they wish to make the tradeoff. This decision shouldn't be made for them.
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