The Detour

I'll update this over time. Right now, it's just a running listing of things that can work during an internet shutdown and are relatively user friendly and easy to start using and share with others. Later, I'll add some points on general censorship circumvention, but first wanted to start with some information on shut-downs, which take advance preparation to deal with, and are more challenging for people to work around. Some shortcuts: Some peer-to-peer file sharing tools Apps that can still...

The Icarus Project is "an online repository for documented Internet censorship circumvention techniques and methods" for content publishers. This is less about tools to access a blocked internet and more about how to publish and share information when you're a target of the blocking. It includes ways of running website mirrors, tricks with hosting, how to create websites that can only be reached through TOR, and so forth. ...

When the regular internet is shut down, there's always satellite. This site is not focusing on on satellite very much because of the high costs, special equipment requirements and sometimes more advanced technical skill needed. But it is a way of working around a shutdown. One resources that's fast and relatively inexpensive is Knapsack, by Toosheh. The Knapsack data- casting system transmits any data, including APKs by satellite. It includes downloads for other software such as Briar and F-Dro...

The "Iran in Silence" website is an online toolbox in Farsi on how to deal with government shutdowns of the internet. It has a downloadable version with tools to help in the event of an internet shutdown. Like all information on dealing with internet shutdowns, it only really works if you prepare in advance. There are a number of links to apps and tools that create local networks, or using tools that leverage other communications streams such as satellite. It includes a section on what a black...

These tools work best when set up before the shut down. Peer-to-peer communication happens between technology connections that don't require the internet, such as bluetooth or when different devices are connected to a common network router using their WiFi. Briar The Briar app runs on Android, and is open source. It uses enctrypted messaging, and was designed with human rights activists, journalists and activitsts in mind. It's also useful for anyone else to have a secure method of communicat...

If the internet is shut down, you can still share photos, videos, documents, some apps, and so forth from device to device, using networks that operate locally (Wifi routers, bluetooth, LAN networks, etc.) Again, having these things set up and tested before the internet is off works best, but needs must. NitroShare for laptops and desktop machines NitroShare makes it easy to share files between computers with this software installed that are on a common network. Open source, available for Win...