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The Tor Project is urgently seeking volunteers to help establish 200 new WebTunnel bridges to combat escalating internet censorship in Russia. Recent reports from Tor users in Russia indicate a significant increase in censorship efforts, including blocking Tor bridges, pluggable transports, and even targeting popular hosting providers used by circumvention tools. This intensified crackdown necessitates a rapid expansion of WebTunnel bridges, a new type of bridge designed to blend seamlessly with regular web traffic, making it more difficult for censors to detect and block.

The WebTunnel bridges are particularly effective because their design helps them avoid detection by blending into other web traffic. The Tor Project has streamlined the process of setting up these bridges, offering support through Docker images and Ansible automation to make it more accessible to volunteers. While some technical expertise is required, including a static IPv4 address, a self-hosted website, and a valid SSL/TLS certificate, the organization aims to deploy 200 new WebTunnel bridges by the end of December 2024 to maintain secure access for users in Russia.

This initiative highlights the ongoing struggle for internet freedom in Russia. The Tor Project emphasizes the critical role WebTunnel bridges play in circumventing censorship and protecting users' anonymity. The call for volunteers underscores the importance of community involvement in preserving online privacy and access to information in the face of increasing government restrictions. Individuals with the necessary technical skills are encouraged to contribute to this crucial effort to maintain access to free and open information.

ImgSrc: securityaffairs.com

References:

• blog.torproject.org - The Tor Project blog post calls for volunteers to set up WebTunnel bridges to bypass increased censorship in Russia. - 26d
• CyberInsider - CyberInsider reports on Tor's call to action to curb blocks on Tor and other circumvention tools in Russia. - 26d
• Techopedia - Techopedia reports on the Tor Project's initiative to establish 200 WebTunnel bridges due to escalating censorship in Russia. - 26d
• @torproject - We're calling on the Tor & Internet freedom community to help scale up WebTunnel bridges. - 26d
• Techmeme - "Recent reports from Tor users in Russia indicate an escalation in online censorship with the goal of blocking access to Tor and other circumvention tools" - 24d
• Security Affairs - Tor Project needs 200 WebTunnel bridges more to bypass Russia’ censorship - 24d

Classification:

• HashTags: Tor Censorship Russia
• Company: Tor Project
• Target: Tor users in Russia
• Product: Tor Browser
• Feature: WebTunnel Bridges
• Type: Censorship
• Severity: Medium