Orchid: Bringing Decentralization to VPNs

Whenever we browse the web, read news online, or purchase a new pair of glasses from an e-commerce store, we leave traces. These traces sometimes show us content that actually provides us with value, but more often the information we leave is used in concerning ways with scandals like Cambridge Analytica just forming the tip … Read more

Coronavirus Fuels P2P Connectivity: Crypto-Driven Meshnet Gives Rural Towns Internet

While the coronavirus wreaks havoc on the economy across the U.S., a number of the 1,737 residents from Clatskanie, Oregon can’t obtain an internet service provider (ISP). The situation has motivated the town to adopt a decentralized meshnet ISP called Althea and the network’s users are paid in cryptocurrency for relaying. Also read: Film Reels … Read more

Governments Exploit Christchurch Tragedy to Enforce Censorship and Thought Policing

No sooner had the victims of the Christchurch attack fallen than governments were clamoring to mine the tragedy for political capital. Despite the shooting having been live streamed on Facebook, antipodean officials have directed their ire against fringe websites in a desperate bid to control the narrative and criminalize curious civilians. Also read: Bitcoin Cash … Read more

Report Shows Egypt is Covertly Mining Cryptocurrency on Citizens’ Computers

The Egyptian government has been called out in a new report that suggests they are not only spying on and censoring their citizens’ internet but also using them to mine cryptocurrency.  Also read: Japan’s DMM Bitcoin Exchange Opens for Business With 7 Cryptocurrencies Government Mining Cryptocurrency Covertly The Citizen Lab, an interdisciplinary laboratory at the University … Read more

What Is Community-Built Broadband?

With an increasing amount of centralization in the telecommunications and ISP world, coupled with the FCC’s recent ruling against net neutrality, more communities are pushing back. The fact of the matter is that, while it may seem like there is no alternative to ISPs and their growing monopolies, broadband can be more decentralized, even without … Read more

Unknown Russian ISP Rerouted Internet Traffic for Major US Companies

Every now and then, something unusual happens on the internet which no one can explain. Earlier this week, a lot of web traffic destined for major sites and platforms was routed through Russian servers for some unknown reason. This did not affect users directly, as they were still able to access the information requested. However, … Read more