[tor-talk] Help users in Iran reach the internet

[Roger Dingledine]

On Fri, Feb 10, 2012 at 12:41:50PM +0100, Jacob Appelbaum wrote:
> Watch this graph for an idea of the censorship impact of directly
> connecting Tor users:
> https://metrics.torproject.org/users.html?graph=direct-users&start=2011-11-12&end=2012-05-10&country=ir&events=on&dpi=72#direct-users
> 
> Here's the same graph but for Tor bridge users in Iran:
> https://metrics.torproject.org/users.html?graph=bridge-users&start=2011-11-12&end=2012-05-10&country=ir&dpi=72#bridge-users

Note that obfsproxy bridges currently don't contribute to the stats. You
can think of them like private bridges in that respect.

But it also means that while Iran maintains its network-wide SSL
filtering, the public metrics numbers will drop for Iran even if all
the users there have switched to obfsproxy.

> We're working on easy to use client software and if you're in Iran or
> need one desperately, please email help at rt.torproject.org. We'll try to
> get you a working obfsproxy bridge address and working client software.

Yep. We've made a Windows Tor Browser Bundle with obfsproxy and some fast
obfsproxy bridges built-in. Current plan is to keep testing that bundle,
and tomorrow ish we'll put out a newer bundle with a larger array of
bridges built-in, and then let our friends in-country spread the word.

--Roger