# Tagged Cooltech: WatanNetwork YouTube region restriction checker

**URL:** https://connect.oeglobal.org/t/tagged-cooltech-watannetwork-youtube-region-restriction-checker/5357
**Category:** Sharing Zone
**Tags:** cooltech
**Created:** [May 18, 2023, 7:02pm UTC](https://connect.oeglobal.org/t/tagged-cooltech-watannetwork-youtube-region-restriction-checker/5357 "2023-05-18T19:02:08Z")
**Posts on this page:** 1
**Showing post:** 2

<div class="post-metadata">

### Author: ![cogdog](https://connect.oeglobal.org/user_avatar/connect.oeglobal.org/cogdog/32/2_2.png) [@cogdog](https://connect.oeglobal.org/u/cogdog)
#### Post date: [May 18, 2023, 7:22pm UTC](https://connect.oeglobal.org/t/tagged-cooltech-watannetwork-youtube-region-restriction-checker/5357/2 "2023-05-18T19:22:50Z")

</div>

I ran into this situation recently with an embedded YouTube video in the OER shared with us [recently on OEG Live](https://connect.oeglobal.org/t/oeg-live-climate-change-film-narrative-oer-and-education-futures/5272) by @JudithSebesta

I spotted [in one chapter](https://pressbooks.pub/climatechangeandfilm/chapter/scene-4-post-climapocalyptic-dystopias/) the clip for _The Road_ showed up as Unavailable.

 ![Screen Shot 374](https://connect.oeglobal.org/uploads/default/original/2X/b/bba1df32799ce73b65ab2483c76ba4c3869e0144.jpeg)

I shared with Judith, who was perplexed because she could see it fine.

Then my hunch kicked in… I live in Canada, and often I find YouTube clips won’t play here (usually ones for songs or TV shows). And sure enough, I flipped my connection via a VPN tool to use a US based IP address, and I could see the video.

So the vldeo’s author had placed geographic restrictions on it. That’s not very global!

Judith has since changed the clip for one without restrictions, but I was curious how an OER author would know a clip they can see fine will not show up for someone in another country. Thus I found the WatanNetwork tool linked above.

You can see it in action with the URL for the original clip that I could not view in Canada-- [https://watannetwork.com/tools/blocked/#url=WEP25kPtQCQ](https://watannetwork.com/tools/blocked/#url=WEP25kPtQCQ)

Thus it shows that the movie is only available in 4 countries: Somaliland, Kosovo, N. Cyprus, and the United States (curious choices there!)

 ![World map showing a YouTube video is blocked almost everywhere except Somaliland, Kosovo, N. Cyprus, and the United States](https://connect.oeglobal.org/uploads/default/original/2X/3/35bc694ce829e0a6df8bb968b5d3d0d759867a6d.jpeg)

This ought to be useful for making sure any YouTube videos used in your work are globally available.

---

_[View the full topic](https://connect.oeglobal.org/t/tagged-cooltech-watannetwork-youtube-region-restriction-checker/5357)._