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@@ -17,9 +17,13 @@ summary: As the Russian government intensifies its grip on the internet, censors
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. This new wave includes attempts to block Tor bridges and pluggable transports developed by the Tor Project, removal of circumvention apps from stores, and targeting popular hosting providers, shrinking the space for bypassing censorship. [Despite these ongoing actions](https://gitlab.torproject.org/tpo/anti-censorship/censorship-analysis/-/issues/40046), Tor remains effective.
One alarming trend is the targeted blocking by Russia of popular hosting providers. As many circumvention tools are using them, this action made some Tor bridges inaccessible to many users in Russia. As Roscomnadzor and internet service providers in Russia are increasing their blocking efforts, the need for more [WebTunnel bridges](https://community.torproject.org/relay/setup/webtunnel/) has become urgent.
One alarming trend is the targeted blocking of popular hosting providers by Roscomnadzor. As many circumvention tools are using them, this action made some Tor bridges inaccessible to many users in Russia. As Roscomnadzor and internet service providers in Russia are increasing their blocking efforts, the need for more [WebTunnel bridges](https://community.torproject.org/relay/setup/webtunnel/) has become urgent.
_Webtunnel_ is a new type of bridge that is particularly effective at flying under a censors's radar. Its design blends itself into other web traffic, allowing a user to [hide in plain sight](https://blog.torproject.org/introducing-webtunnel-evading-censorship-by-hiding-in-plain-sight/). And since its launch earlier this year, we've made sure to prioritize small download sizes for more convenient distribution and simplified the support of uTLS intergration further mimicing the characteristics of more widespread browsers. This makes Webtunnel safe for general users because it helps conceal the fact that a tool like Tor is being used.
We are calling on the Tor community and the Internet freedom community to help us scale up WebTunnel bridges. If you've ever thought about running a Tor bridge, **now is the time**. Our goal is to deploy **200 new WebTunnel bridges** by the end of this December (2024) to open secure access for users in Russia.
@@ -35,7 +39,7 @@ You can find the technical requirements in our [WebTunnel guide](https://communi
**Important:** Avoid using free shared DNS services, as they are frequently blocked in Russia and other regions. Consult our crowdsourced [Good/Bad ISPs](https://community.torproject.org/relay/community-resources/good-bad-isps/) page for finding a home for your WebTunnel bridge and avoiding popular hosting companies.
**Important:** Avoid using free shared DNS services, as they are frequently blocked in Russia and other regions. Consult our community [Good/Bad ISPs](https://community.torproject.org/relay/community-resources/good-bad-isps/) page for finding a provider for your WebTunnel bridge and avoiding popular hosting companies.
@@ -48,7 +52,7 @@ You can find the technical requirements in our [WebTunnel guide](https://communi
@@ -61,13 +65,13 @@ After spinning up and verifying that your five WebTunnel bridges are working, co
Tor-powered applications like Tor Browser include built-in censorship circumvention features, but censors in Russia are increasingly targeting these mechanisms. For example, user reports suggest that [obfs4 connections are being blocked on some 4G mobile networks](https://gitlab.torproject.org/tpo/anti-censorship/censorship-analysis/-/issues/40050). Despite this, obfs4 remains the most widely used pluggable transport for Tor users in Russia. Snowflake has also experienced partial blocks from certain providers and Tor's [Anti-Censorship Team have been investigating](https://gitlab.torproject.org/tpo/anti-censorship/pluggable-transports/snowflake/-/issues/40407).
Tor-powered applications like Tor Browser include built-in censorship circumvention features, but censors in Russia are increasingly targeting these mechanisms. For example, user reports suggest that [obfs4 connections are being blocked on some 4G mobile networks in Russia](https://gitlab.torproject.org/tpo/anti-censorship/censorship-analysis/-/issues/40050). Despite this, obfs4 remains the most widely used pluggable transport for Tor users in the country. Snowflake has also experienced partial blocks at certain providers and Tor's [Anti-Censorship Team have been investigating](https://gitlab.torproject.org/tpo/anti-censorship/pluggable-transports/snowflake/-/issues/40407).
Tor-powered applications are critical for combating online censorship in heavily restricted regions. In a country where ["the biggest banks were instructed to punish customers using credit cards to pay for VPN services"](https://cepa.org/article/russias-bankers-become-secret-policemen/), free and open source tools like Tor are some of the few remaining alternatives for keeping users connected.
@@ -75,11 +79,17 @@ Tor-powered applications are critical for combating online censorship in heavily
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