Study reveals: loopholes against internet censorship in authoritarian regimes!

Study reveals: loopholes against internet censorship in authoritarian regimes!

Scientists at the University of Paderborn and the Technology Innovation Institute in Abu Dhabi have published a comprehensive study on circumventing Internet censorship. The main goal of this research is to facilitate access to blocked websites and to develop innovative approaches for future technologies. A particular focus was placed on the censorship systems that are used in authoritarian states such as China and Iran. The authors emphasize the need to expand “censorship research” and develop new tools to ensure Internet access.

The study was awarded a prize at the “IEEE Symposium on Security and Privacy” conference in San Francisco in mid-May. Within this research, an open source tool called “Censor Scanner” was developed. This tool aims to encrypt internet requests so that they cannot be detected or blocked by censorship systems. It tests various techniques to bypass censorship systems and ensures that requests from real websites are understood.

Techniques for circumventing censorship

A central element of the study is the mechanism in the “Transport Layer Security” (TLS) protocol, which ensures the secure encryption of Internet connections. While censors can analyze TLS messages because the first message is sent unencrypted and reveals the name of the website, the “TLS fragmentation” method allows for an interesting solution. This method breaks the first TLS request into small pieces to bypass censorship.

In addition, techniques have been identified that consist of hiding information about the target website or removing certain information from requests. Not only are these solutions effective against current censorship systems, they are also accepted by Internet servers worldwide. The results of this study could particularly help people in repressive regimes to circumvent barriers and share information freely.

The research team reported that China's "Great Firewall" consists of three different systems that need to be outsmarted. The study also approves a new technique for bypassing censorship at the TLS layer, known as “TLS record fragmentation,” which has been tested with great success. Up to 90% of TLS servers support this technology.

Global contexts of internet censorship

The Internet is considered the leading global communication medium, accessible in almost all countries. Despite this accessibility, many people are under pressure in authoritarian governments that perceive internet access as a threat. In countries like Turkmenistan, private internet access is almost impossible; only a few people are allowed to use work devices. Governments use complex technical methods to exercise censorship and control over online content.

Iran persecutes critics and journalists who speak out online, and in China, users often see their requests blocked by error messages. The “Great Firewall” provides a perfect example here: This censorship measure ensures that unwanted content is systematically blocked. The situation is similar in other countries, such as North Korea, where control over the media and the Internet is extremely strict, or in Vietnam, where a specialized police force monitors the Internet.

The results presented and technologies developed in the study represent an important step towards challenging these censorship systems and enabling people in authoritarian regimes to access the information they need. The research could therefore not only serve as a basis for future technologies, but also as a significant support for human rights organizations, journalists and users who suffer from censorship.