Dissidents Seeking Anonymous Web Solutions?

DocMurphy asks: "I'm working with some dissidents who are looking for ways to use the Internet from within repressive regimes. Many have in-home Internet access, but think it too risky to participate in pro-freedom activities on home PCs. Internet cafés are also available, but although fairly anonymous, every machine may be infected with keystroke loggers that give governments access to and knowledge of 'banned' sites. Dissidents not only want to remain anonymous themselves, but also wish to not compromise the sites they access. Any suggestions for products/procedures/systems out there making anonymous access & publishing a reality under repressive regime run Internet access?"

Comments

Dissidence isn't supposed to be convenient.

[Rude Turnip]

If you've gotten to the point where you're really worried about being caught and persecuted, perhaps the internet is not your safest bet, due to every reason being posted here, ie: keyloggers, etc. As much as you'd like to change your world, the "system" isn't going to make things easy for you to overthrow it. And the internet is very much a part of the "system." Unless you're ready to string up your own network and create a rebellion intranet, you're out of luck.

Just do what they do on the Sopranos: keep it low tech, use payphones, meet in person. If your cause it that important and you need to spread information, may I suggest a major leaflet campaign?

Re:wireless

[kouhoutek]

Beacuse:
A. Repressive regimes may not have a lot of unsecured open hotspots.
B. Repressive regimes may not have an abundance of wireless enabled laptops, and possessing one would draw attention.
C. Going from "inside the internet cafe" to "within 150' of the internet cafe" doesn't get you that much. Repressive regimes are pretty good with triangulation.

Re:There is no anonymity on the internet

[lukewarmfusion]

"Best not to risk your life if a regime is that oppressive."

That's an excellent time to risk your life. Rolling over and "playing nice" is exactly what lets oppressive regimes exist.

Re:There is no point

[gstoddart]

There is no point in being a dissident if you choose to remain anonymous. How is anyone supposed to know what your motives are if they don't know who you are. And if you really care about the things you say, then you should be willing to take a stand for it.

Spoken like a true Westerner I'm thinking.

In countries where you can stand up and say your government is a bunch of idiots, there is no harm in not being anonymous.

But if this can lead to prison, death, torture, disappearance, or all sorts of ahem inconvenience cough, then anonymity is what you want.

What good is saying "if you have anything of value to say, be public about it" if everyone is eventually dead and too afraid to say anything?

Sometimes just making sure someone hears the words is important. As is making sure those who need to say 'em are alive to keep saying 'em. Deciding that anything that can't be said out in the open isn't worth saying is probably a real disservice to peoples who absolutely cannot do that.

Re:And the entire internet is public..

[TubeSteak]

If they're really after you, they'll scour your RAM for whatever recoverable material is left behind.

RAM isn't completely recovery proof.

Now... as for the original question, isn't this what freenet was supposed to be for?

Freenet is free software which lets you publish and obtain information on the Internet without fear of censorship. To achieve this freedom, the network is entirely decentralized and publishers and consumers of information are anonymous.
...
Users contribute to the network by giving bandwidth and a portion of their hard drive (called the "data store") for storing files. Unlike other peer-to-peer file sharing networks, Freenet does not let the user control what is stored in the data store

In other words, the site is published by you, but hosted on some other freenet member(s) box.

That was the entire point of freenet, to allow for truly anonymous publishing of material.
Oh yea, and don't forget to check the "Post Anonymously" box