Press ESC to close

Tor in Russia: A call for more WebTunnel bridges

Key DetailsInformation
Recent Censorship Escalation in RussiaReports indicate increased online censorship, with targeted blocking of Tor, its bridges, and other circumvention tools by Roscomnadzor and Russian ISPs.
Affected ToolsAttempts to block Tor bridges, pluggable transports, and circumvention apps from app stores. Popular hosting providers are being targeted.
WebTunnel Bridges’ ImportanceWebTunnel bridges are designed to blend with regular web traffic, making them harder to detect, and are an effective tool against censorship.
Need for More WebTunnel BridgesTor aims to deploy 200 new WebTunnel bridges by December 2024 to ensure secure access for users in Russia.
Why WebTunnel?WebTunnel offers a small download size, supports uTLS integration, and disguises Tor traffic to avoid detection by censors.
How to Run a Tor WebTunnel Bridge1. Using Docker: Simplifies deploying Tor bridge and WebTunnel transport. 2. Ansible Automation: Use Ansible role for quick setup.
Technical Requirements– Static IPv4 address (preferred) – Self-hosted website – SSL/TLS certificate (e.g., Let’s Encrypt) – At least 1TB/month bandwidth, avoid free shared DNS services.
Bridge Campaign TimelineCampaign runs from Nov 28, 2024, to Mar 10, 2025, aiming for 200 new WebTunnel bridges by the end of 2024.
Campaign RewardsOperators running 5 or more WebTunnel bridges will receive a Tor t-shirt (one per operator).
Bridge Campaign Rules– One WebTunnel bridge per IPv4 – Solid uptime, 24/7 operation – No hosting on Hetzner – Valid email for confirmation – Bridges must run for at least 1 year.
How to ParticipateEmail confirmation of running 5 bridges with your bridge lines and t-shirt size.
Russian Censorship TacticsIncreasing blocks on Tor’s obfs4 and Snowflake pluggable transports, especially on mobile networks, highlighting the growing challenge for Tor users in Russia.
Importance of TorTor remains one of the few uncensored tools for bypassing restrictions in Russia, where VPN services are heavily targeted, and financial penalties are imposed on users.
Background on Tor’s Blockage in Russia (2021)Despite Russian government’s efforts to block Tor in 2021, users successfully circumvented the block using Tor bridges.
Current WebTunnel Bridge CountFrom 60 bridges in early 2024 to 143 today, but the demand continues to rise as censorship efforts grow.
How to Help Without Technical SkillsSpread the word through social networks, offline methods, or donate to the Tor Project, where all donations are currently matched.
Donation MatchingDonations are being matched, meaning a $25 donation becomes $50 to help Tor counter censorship.

Read full article: https://blog.torproject.org/call-for-webtunnel-bridges/

Disclaimer: The above summary has been generated by an AI language model

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *