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Berkman Center for Internet & Society

   circ2011.PNG

International Bloggers and Internet Control

Published August 18, 2011

   Authored by Hal Roberts, Ethan Zuckerman, Jillian York, Rob Faris, John
   Palfrey
   Download PDF
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   The Internet is an increasingly contested space, particularly in
   countries with repressive governments. Infringements on Internet
   freedom, particularly through Internet filtering and surveillance, have
   inspired activists and technologists to develop technological
   counter-measures, most notably circumvention tools to defeat Internet
   filters and anonymity tools to help protect user privacy and avoid
   online surveillance efforts. The widely heralded role of online
   activism in the Arab spring and the increasing incidence of Internet
   filtering around the world have spurred greater interest in supporting
   the development and dissemination of these tools as a means to foster
   greater freedom of expression online and strengthen the hand of
   activists demanding political reform. However, despite the perceived
   importance of this field, relatively little is known about the demand
   for and usage patterns of these tools.

   In December 2010, we surveyed a sample of international bloggers to
   better understand how, where, why, and by whom these tools are being
   used.

   From previous research, we know that circumvention tools are effective
   in evading national Internet filtering, though they can be slow,
   insecure and difficult to use. We also know that worldwide
   circumvention tool usage is limited. In our recent report on
   circumvention tool usage, we found that at most (and likely far fewer
   than) 3% of Internet users in countries that engage in substantial
   filtering use circumvention tools once a month or more. Through this
   survey, we aim to better understand usage of these tools by a specific
   community of politically- and internationally-oriented bloggers.

   The full, aggregated results of the survey are available at:
   International Bloggers and Internet Control: Full Survey Results

   Last updated August 18, 2011
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Sponsors

     * Internews
     * U.S. Department of State

Related Content

     * Circumvention
     * International Bloggers and Internet Control: Full Survey Results
     * 2011 Circumvention Tool Evaluation
     * The Evolving Landscape of Internet Control
     * 2010 Circumvention Tool Usage Report
     * 2007 Circumvention Landscape Report: Methods, Uses, and Tools

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