Walled garden is an Internet service provider (ISP) model in which access to content on the Internet is restricted within a certain limited range or scope provided by a single network or server. It may also refer to the private networks or networks with restricted access that are typically set up within companies to contain confidential or sensitive information. The content within these restricted nets is typically provided, managed and controlled solely by the ISP. The term “walled garden” derives from the idea of a garden wall, which is used to keep intruders out and maintain a certain degree of privacy within the walled domain.
One example of a walled garden model used by ISPs is the provision of certain bandwidth speeds to certain websites or services that are free or beneficial to the user. For example, an ISP may provide its subscribers with access to a particular news site or streaming service, free of charge and excluded from data caps or throttling. This limits the access to this site solely to this ISP, making it unavailable to subscribers of other ISPs.
When it comes to big tech companies such as Apple, walled garden is used to refer to the solution of isolated applications that Apple provides to its users. Apple’s walled garden includes their devices and their operating systems, such as macOS, iOS and tvOS, and the App Store for the distribution of applications. The walled garden approach shields users from any external web content while allowing them access exclusively to Apple-provided content.
In the context of gaming, walled garden can refer to services provided by streaming platforms or gaming companies that limit the users to a certain library of games or features. For example, the PlayStation Network, Steam, or Xbox Live, all of which provide online gaming services, could be considered a walled garden.
Walled gardens are commonly used to control access to certain content and improve the user experience of a service. However, critics of walled garden models suggest that they significantly reduce user freedom, limit choice and sometimes even stifle competition.
