Japan's free public VPN project tunnels through Great Firewall

Chinese netizens finding it increasingly difficult to bypass the Great Firewall after a recent crackdown on virtual private network (VPN) services have found an unlikely ally in a new public relay VPN service from Japan. The VPN Gate Academic Experiment Project (h/t TechInAsia) was set up by researchers at the Graduate School …

[Anonymous Coward]

Banned websites

Banned websites? Bet the ruling classes have access to all the pron they want!

[Rampant Spaniel]

Re: Banned websites

But how many have access to the real issue, facts. I know our countries aren't perfect, but I have to wonder how much your average Chinese person knows about what is going on. Is it national apathy? or if you hear it long enough you believe? Not trying to be a twat but what situation allows a government to blatantly lie to over a billion people and get away with it (for the most part).

When my government starts getting funny (i.e. veggie libel laws), or companies get at it (i.e. opposing labeling gmo in food) I'm suspicious, probably just a cynical old git, but seriously when it's about so much isn't it just obvious it's not for a good reason?

[Anonymous Coward]

Re: Banned websites

I think this is more about Chinese citizens having access to world news (including news about their own country) as much as it is about getting news out of China from people on the ground.

Some years ago I was approached by someone from Reuters for advice on how to make secure connections from within the Great Firewall, that was for exchange of news with news reporters within China.

Of course, it could also have just been about the pron :)

[Anonymous Coward]

Re: Banned websites

Like our government wouldn't censor if it could... we already have libel laws that restrict what people post online... the difference is china wil censor directly, the UK Gov will prosecute and censor by fear..

.

The UK is now pandering to Media and blocking websites that assist in copyright violation? that is not even a always a criminal offence! and if the website operators ARE committing a criminal offence, the take them to court and put them behind bars....

I say prosecute criminals, don't push it under a rug, its almost as bad as just blocking Child porn websites, rather than tracking down the vile perpetrators and castrating them with a pair of blunt shears.....

[Rampant Spaniel]

Re: Banned websites

Got to love all the AC posts :-)

I think you misunderstand libel laws, with the exception of the 'veggie libel laws' which were bought by companies not governments, and only exist in maybe 12-13 states in the US you won't get prosecuted for telling the truth online or otherwise. Most countries do also have some exceptions for national security issues.

There is a scale, some countries are close to one end where there is little censorship and others are at the other end where the government controls most of the information. The most we have to worry about is Fox et al broadcasting their unique perspective on reality.

You mention our governments would do it if they could, they probably would which was kind of my point. My school taught me pretty much all the low points of our history, the slave trade, the maumau uprising etc. I've been on school trips and stood in nazi concentration camps, our history isn't hidden from our citizens. Sure in the US the school system likes to gloss over some things like Korea and Vietnam and take a rather rosy view on Hawai'i and how the 'natives' welcomed the Americans with opened arms (bayonet constitution?) but by and large it's far more open than China.

What I was wondering is how it continues? Does your average Chinese person really know? Do they care? The reason our governments can't do it is us. We have just seen governments topple, it can happen. I'm just curious as to how the Chinese government gets away with it.

[Sir Runcible Spoon]

Re: Banned websites

"I'm just curious as to how the Chinese government gets away with it."

Have you seen their army? Their tight leash on all media outlets?

Do you remember tiananmen square?

In short, if you say something they don't like, they drive a tank over you. It's a pretty compelling argument.

[Rampant Spaniel]

Re: Banned websites

Thats rather the point I was making, China seems to be remarkably successful at doing what others seem to have failed at. Yes they have a large army and control over the media, so have many other ideologies, China just seems to be able to keep it going pretty well and over a large number of people and area.

[Anonymous Coward]

Isn't this reinventing TOR ?

in which case why not put more resources into TOR ?

[kevinkanode]

Would be interesting to see how this is different from Tor

[Rampant Spaniel]

Perhaps it's just an attempt to create a different 'brand'. TOR does get a bashing in the press for being a shield for pervs and pirates (I respect that it has many very valid other uses).

[NP-Hardass]

From what I can tell, the difference is in the protocols used in both frontend and backend. The benefit of this service is you can connect using any old basic VPN client. Another research project they are working on is another VPN protocol which tunnels VPN through SSL, as well as a grand VPN client and server capable of handling all popular VPN protocols. Seems neat to me.

[Sir Runcible Spoon]

Sir

Looks like the Chinese haven't figured out that whatever you do to damage the internet, it routes around it somehow.

[gzgweilo]

Re: Sir

maybe, but in the meantime they have blocked access to the link in the article - anyone have any links to get to this through the great firewall?

[Anonymous Coward]

@gzgweilo

Mirror sites list (Updated at 2013-03-13 15:27:51 UTC):

http://pl020.nas811.p-ibaraki.nttpc.ne.jp:20370/en/ (Mirror location: Japan)

http://pl2512.nas811.p-ibaraki.nttpc.ne.jp:41635/en/ (Mirror location: Japan)

http://FL1-119-240-36-72.myg.mesh.ad.jp:42419/en/ (Mirror location: Japan)

http://z144072.dynamic.ppp.asahi-net.or.jp:43829/en/ (Mirror location: Japan)

http://pc6eb78.fkoknt01.ap.so-net.ne.jp:35522/en/ (Mirror location: Japan)

http://i60-34-196-67.s41.a014.ap.plala.or.jp:38091/en/ (Mirror location: Japan)

http://175.198.85.9:8274/en/ (Mirror location: Korea Republic of)

http://nz063.net219112165.thn.ne.jp:26972/en/ (Mirror location: Japan)

http://FL1-122-131-237-168.stm.mesh.ad.jp:5156/en/ (Mirror location: Japan)

http://p02c8df.ibrknt01.ap.so-net.ne.jp:60493/en/ (Mirror location: Japan)

http://173.208.100.220.dy.bbexcite.jp:33153/en/ (Mirror location: Japan)

http://42-146-73-43.rev.home.ne.jp:37352/en/ (Mirror location: Japan)

http://p02c901.ibrknt01.ap.so-net.ne.jp:35526/en/ (Mirror location: Japan)

http://3d2caa3a.ip.ncv.ne.jp:10940/en/ (Mirror location: Japan)

http://212.87.181.151:10800/en/ (Mirror location: Ukraine)

Anon cause I live there too.

[my farts clear the room]

its tcp over udp and it installs in user space .....

This is terrifying, the underlying software - softether - installs in user space specifically to circumvent the IT department (or lack there of) and provide individual staff their own VPN back into the office.

It works via outbound SSL tunnels so it gets through virtually everything ..... it can be installed by any idiot that can click next ...... it bypasses your firewall and network policies ..... and a single checkbox joins in with the public VPN Gate volunteers

This could already be running on your network with your staff running it!