A Practical Guide to Internet Technology for Political Activists in Repressive Regimes

The Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF) released "Surveillance
Self-Defense International" (SSDI) today, a practical guide to help
activists from around the world use the Internet safely under
repressive regimes. It is available at: https://www.eff.org/wp/surveillance-self-defense-international.

Recent political protests in Iran, China, and elsewhere have
demonstrated the enormous power of the Internet for organizing protests
and reporting events to the world. But governments have also used the
Internet to track, harass, and undermine. SSDI urges activists to
consider the risks in using various technologies and outlines
strategies that can allow protestors to continue to use the Internet
safely.

"The Internet remains a powerful way to give voice to repressed
people around the world," said EFF Staff Technologist Peter Eckersley.
"But with increasingly prevalent government censorship and
surveillance, citizens seeking free expression must consider the risks
and make careful decisions about how they use the Internet.
Surveillance Self-Defense International can help them make those
decisions well."

Individuals outside of repressive regimes can also read the guide to
find ideas for remotely assisting others in circumventing censorship
and speaking out anonymously on the Internet. Shortly after the
contested Iranian election, many activists sought advice on using their
computers to set up proxies or Tor nodes to help Iranian citizens
access the web.

"Surveillance Self-Defense International isn't just about what to do
when facing down surveillance and censorship in your own country," said
Danny O'Brien, EFF's International Outreach Coordinator. "It's about
what ordinary Net users can do to help protect others. Whoever you are,
and wherever you are, you can help keep the Net safe for free speech."

SSDI is an offshoot of EFF's Surveillance Self-Defense manual, an
online how-to guide for protecting private data against government
spying in the U.S. SSDI reflects the fact that the best strategies to
achieve privacy are very different for people in the U.S. and people
living elsewhere, sometimes under authoritarian regimes.

For "Surveillance Self-Defense International":
https://www.eff.org/wp/surveillance-self-defense-international