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Tor's Ooniprobe, Now Available On Android and iOS, Helps People Track Internet Censorship (cnn.com)

Posted by msmash on from the find-out dept.

In 2012, researchers at Tor announced Ooniprobe, an open-source tool to collect data about local meddling with the computer's network connections, and also whether the government was censoring something. The team has now released a new app, available for Android and iOS, which makes it easier than ever to tell what your government is up to on the web. From a report on CNN Money: The Open Observatory of Network Interference (OONI), which monitors networks for censorship and surveillance, is launching Ooniprobe, a mobile app to test network connectivity and let you know when a website is censored in your area. The app tests over 1,200 websites, including Facebook, Twitter, and WhatsApp. You can decide how long to run the test, but the default is 90 seconds and would test between 10 and 20 websites depending on bandwidth. Links to blocked websites are listed in red, while available sites are green. Service providers, sometimes controlled by the government, don't always shutdown the internet entirely -- for instance, Facebook.com might be inaccessible while CNN.com still works. "Not only we will be able to gather more data and more evidence, but we will be able to engage and bring the issue of censorship to the attention of more people," Arturo Filasto, chief developer for the Ooniprobe app, told CNNTech.

27 comments

  1. Wait, where's the Trump reference? by XxtraLarGe · · Score: 0

    I'm surprised that the summary doesn't mention something like "Now that Donald Trump is President of the United States, an app like this is more important than ever!" /. editors must be slacking more than usual...

    --
    Taking guns away from the 99% gives the 1% 100% of the power.
    1. Re:Wait, where's the Trump reference? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      I'm surprised that the summary doesn't mention something like "Now that Donald Trump is President of the United States, an app like this is more important than ever!" /. editors must be slacking more than usual...

      You might want to use the new Tor Ooniprobe as it sounds like the government is censoring your connection to Slashdot to edit, remove, or replace all references to His Royal Majesty DJ Trump.

    2. Re:Wait, where's the Trump reference? by Opportunist · · Score: 1

      Well, at least with him you won't see any censorship to protect feelings and safe spaces, that's for sure. So... I don't know if he means more censorship.

      Hey, it can't ALL be bad now that the hairpiece is at the helm.

      --
      We used to have a Bill of Rights. Now, with the rights gone, all we have left is the bill.
    3. Re:Wait, where's the Trump reference? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      "It was the largest inauguration crowd ever." 'were going to have to reconsider our relationship...if you call out the press secretary for lying'

    4. Re:Wait, where's the Trump reference? by XxtraLarGe · · Score: 1

      Well, at least with him you won't see any censorship to protect feelings and safe spaces, that's for sure. So... I don't know if he means more censorship.

      I don't know. Looks like I'm getting downmodded for making a joke. Is /. now considered a safe space?

      --
      Taking guns away from the 99% gives the 1% 100% of the power.
    5. Re:Wait, where's the Trump reference? by Opportunist · · Score: 1

      I don't know. I don't care. Mod me down. I have more Karma to burn than any of them have modpoints.

      --
      We used to have a Bill of Rights. Now, with the rights gone, all we have left is the bill.
    6. Re:Wait, where's the Trump reference? by Opportunist · · Score: 1

      I said "protect feelings and safe spaces". As in, of many people. Not just one single egomaniac.

      --
      We used to have a Bill of Rights. Now, with the rights gone, all we have left is the bill.
    7. Re:Wait, where's the Trump reference? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Trump is one that the mainstream media tries (and fails) to silence. He is singlehandedly making them irrelevant, permanently. Even after he's gone, no President will ever again have to play by any rules set out by the MSM, and good riddance.

  2. Similar tools? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Are there any similar tools that will run in a browser on a computer, without requiring third party software? I used to use Glasnost every now and then, but they just shut down this week. And Netalyzr requires Java which is a non-starter for me.

  3. Why waste one minute on "mobiles"? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

    They are completely compromised from the hardware to the firmware to the OS to the software run on them. Even worse so than desktop computers. A hopeless battle.

    1. Re: Why waste one minute on "mobiles"? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

      its all hopless theres nothing any one can do.

    2. Re: Why waste one minute on "mobiles"? by bill_mcgonigle · · Score: 1

      And mobile computing will never catch on at this rate.

      --
      My God, it's Full of Source!
      OUTSIDE_IP=$(dig +short my.ip @outsideip.net)
    3. Re:Why waste one minute on "mobiles"? by jonwil · · Score: 1

      I have a Nokia N900. It runs full stack Linux (including x11) with a large amount of FOSS on the device. The cellular radio in the device has no access to the main CPU, main RAM, main flash memory (for the OS), EMMC (secondary on-device storage for data), the SD card, either of the cameras, the main power management system or any of the audio hardware (including the microphone).

      The N900 can't be compromised (e.g. turning it into a remote bug, having data stolen from the main firmware or having images taken from the camera) via the cellular radio and any backdoors or compromises in it. (unless all the information we have via kernel and other FOSS software, via leaked-from-Nokia official schematics and via hardware analysis is wrong and there is an unknown backdoor pathway)

  4. Re:because the internet is a few web sites by Opportunist · · Score: 1

    Shhhhh... hush, right there!

    Let them think it is, the last thing you want is to educate politicians about anything. The first rule when trying to protect something from being destroyed is to not draw attention to it.

    So YES! That internet is all about webpages and NOTHING ELSE!

    --
    We used to have a Bill of Rights. Now, with the rights gone, all we have left is the bill.
  5. Re:because the internet is a few web sites by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Ban Slashdot Forever

  6. Re:How does ooooprobeme help Cameroon? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Talking from personal experience?

  7. Re:How does ooooprobeme help Cameroon? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    I don't want granny to know about my granny fetish.

  8. What about propaganda by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    I have read some newspaper articles in New Zealand that are clearly propaganda. They were obviously written by overseas interests. It would be interesting to track propaganda and if possible identify it's source.

  9. Install links page by bill_mcgonigle · · Score: 1

    Glaring omission is glaring.

    https://ooni.torproject.org/po...

    --
    My God, it's Full of Source!
    OUTSIDE_IP=$(dig +short my.ip @outsideip.net)
    1. Re:Install links page by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Glaring omission is glaring.

      https://ooni.torproject.org/po...

      The installer is linked from the "Get it on play store" and "Get it on the App Store" buttons.

      Linking here for reference:
      https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=org.openobservatory.ooniprobe
      https://itunes.apple.com/US/app/id1199566366

  10. Interestingly, ooni by presidenteloco · · Score: 1

    means "big sister" in Korean. So big sister is keeping a watch on big brother? I get it.

    --

    Where are we going and why are we in a handbasket?
  11. Why do you need to check which sites are blocked? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    If they don't work they blocked.
    Just use free www.getlantern.org to circumvent