Twitter's new 'Tor' service can circumvent state internet censorship

[Celerity]

In regions where Twitter is partially or completely restricted, a new ‘Tor’ service could soon allow people to circumvent censorship measures. This won’t be well received by certain government figures, but is a big win for online democracy.

https://thred.com/tech/twitters-new-tor-service-can-circumvent-state-internet-censorship/



Twitter claims this move had been in the works since 2014, but the timing seems awful convenient. This week, the social media giant has announced plans to launch a version of Twitter that functions through a virtual private network (of sorts). What this means is that user data will be encrypted, allowing people to access the platform as normal in regions where service is suspended.

Given the Kremlin state is aggressively squeezing the free flow of information from both social media and traditional media sources – with Twitter now banned throughout the country – this ballsy move will instantly allow Russian citizens to reclaim their accounts and freely follow social commentary about the invasion.

‘This is possibly the most important and long-awaited Tweet I’ve ever composed,’ said software engineer Alec Muffet, as he announced Twitter’s integration with Tor’s (short for ‘The Onion Router’) service.

If you’ve never heard of a virtual private network or Tor before, don’t worry. We’re about to break down all the jargon.

Link to tweet

snip