Turkmenistan's Government Monetizes Internet Censorship Through Secret Sales
By
pabs3
Sesame, salt, and substance. A flagship bake.
Summary
The article details how Turkmenistan's government has transformed internet censorship into a profitable business model, where state authorities simultaneously block internet access and secretly sell connectivity at exorbitant prices. The Tor Project discovered this scheme after noticing a sudden drop in Tor usage in July 2021, revealing an Orwellian system where the same entities restricting internet freedom are monetizing access through underground sales that most citizens cannot afford.
Key quotes
· 4 pulledIn an Orwellian twist, the people blocking access to the internet are the same ones secretly selling it back, at a price most Turkmens can't afford.
Tor would come to understand that this marked the beginning of a new era of censorship and restriction in this post-Soviet country.
The Tor Community has long been defending internet freedom, running relays and providing bridges to combat internet censorship.
Over the years, the Tor Project has called for action to run more bridges, Snowflake proxies, while we've investigated and adapted our anti-censorship strategies.
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