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What is deep packet inspection?

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Deep Packet Inspection (DPI) is a method of analyzing network traffic at a granular level by analyzing the content of individual packets.

DPI allows network admins to categorize traffic in complex ways, that would otherwise be impossible using traditional data packet analysis.

It can also be abused by marketing agencies to spy on you and weaponized by repressive governments.

However, some of the best VPNs offer obfuscation technologies that help you get around DPI -based protocol blocking.

DPI is useful for protecting enterprise networks but it's a double-edged sword if you're using a VPN.

While expensive to implement, DPI can identify VPN usage in ways that traditional network filtering methods cannot.

oppressive regimes with high levels of internet surveillance and censorship often use DPI in combination with other techniques to detect and block VPN traffic.