3 ms·

Why not hide traffic in an actual video stream..

luckylion 4y ago
That's what I was thinking as well, but I guess there's little demand for one-way traffic, and you'd need to make a complicated system to make it two way (i.e. you request something off-channel, a new video gets created and uploaded which also contains your response) via an established platform. Would be easier to do on a custom platform, but I'm not sure how well that'd work if you stand up a video site that suddenly gets a lot of traffic in $heavilyCensoredArea -- feels like something that'll get attention. For individual users it would probably work though.
- graderjs 4y ago
  The traffic pattern sounds like a remote browser. One way sends the video (and audio) stream (over WSS or WebRTC), the other way sends the UI interactions (clicks, pointer movements, scrolling, typing etc).
- noduerme 4y ago
  Just off my own experience living for a year in Vietnam, which was far less sophisticated at this than China... once your apartment has raised red flags, any suspicious traffic is going to lead to a temporary 15-minute to 1 hour internet shutoff. Any ports or domains you accessed will be blacklisted to trigger longer shutoffs in the future, just in case you didn't get the message the first time. The third or fourth time, someone from the police will politely ask you some questions. (I work for a western corporation that requires a VPN and is considering investment is the correct answer). Maybe we're at a point now where traffic analysis weighs into the decision-making process, but that would actually mean freedom of information was winning and breaking through if they had to winnow down their target list that way. In other words, there's no rhyme or reason to one service or IP being blocked and another being left open. It's done completely by fiat with the main intention not being to prevent you from access, but rather to frighten you so you censor yourself and think thrice before trying to connect again.
  - dtx1 4y ago
    Good to know i'll never visit vietnam
    - noduerme 4y ago
      I'd say this is the wrong reaction. Vietnam is great. The people are incredibly friendly (even to an American who assumed I would be shunned). The culture is ancient, proud and endlessly intricate. It's an amazing place to visit and learn about. They were wildly mistreated by the French and Americans, and still have a confidence and pride that is lacking in most of the 30-odd countries I've visited in the world. Dealing with oppressive governments as a visitor is the rule around the world, not the exception. Not that I'd support stepping foot in or giving a cent to some of the worst (like Burma or Russia). But it would be wrong to say you'd never visit; especially a place like Vietnam which is worthy of a lot of latitude and respect for what they've built out of the ashes of nearly 100 years of anti-colonial warfare.
      - dtx1 4y ago
        > Dealing with oppressive governments as a visitor is the rule around the world, not the exception. It may be, but I'm happy to have the choice not to visit such places.
nonrandomstring 4y ago
Steganographic overlays are a thing, and look set for wider use as vile regimes tighten their grip. But they are slow - fine for text based reporting, egress of intelligence, protest coordination, or the dissemination of smaller videos maybe, but not meeting the expectations of a generation raised on interactive media.

That's what I was thinking as well, but I guess there's little demand for one-way traffic, and you'd need to make a complicated system to make it two way (i.e. you request something off-channel, a new video gets created and uploaded which also contains your response) via an established platform. Would be easier to do on a custom platform, but I'm not sure how well that'd work if you stand up a video site that suddenly gets a lot of traffic in $heavilyCensoredArea -- feels like something that'll get attention. For individual users it would probably work though.

graderjs 4y ago
The traffic pattern sounds like a remote browser. One way sends the video (and audio) stream (over WSS or WebRTC), the other way sends the UI interactions (clicks, pointer movements, scrolling, typing etc).
noduerme 4y ago
Just off my own experience living for a year in Vietnam, which was far less sophisticated at this than China... once your apartment has raised red flags, any suspicious traffic is going to lead to a temporary 15-minute to 1 hour internet shutoff. Any ports or domains you accessed will be blacklisted to trigger longer shutoffs in the future, just in case you didn't get the message the first time. The third or fourth time, someone from the police will politely ask you some questions. (I work for a western corporation that requires a VPN and is considering investment is the correct answer). Maybe we're at a point now where traffic analysis weighs into the decision-making process, but that would actually mean freedom of information was winning and breaking through if they had to winnow down their target list that way. In other words, there's no rhyme or reason to one service or IP being blocked and another being left open. It's done completely by fiat with the main intention not being to prevent you from access, but rather to frighten you so you censor yourself and think thrice before trying to connect again.
- dtx1 4y ago
  Good to know i'll never visit vietnam
  - noduerme 4y ago
    I'd say this is the wrong reaction. Vietnam is great. The people are incredibly friendly (even to an American who assumed I would be shunned). The culture is ancient, proud and endlessly intricate. It's an amazing place to visit and learn about. They were wildly mistreated by the French and Americans, and still have a confidence and pride that is lacking in most of the 30-odd countries I've visited in the world. Dealing with oppressive governments as a visitor is the rule around the world, not the exception. Not that I'd support stepping foot in or giving a cent to some of the worst (like Burma or Russia). But it would be wrong to say you'd never visit; especially a place like Vietnam which is worthy of a lot of latitude and respect for what they've built out of the ashes of nearly 100 years of anti-colonial warfare.
    - dtx1 4y ago
      > Dealing with oppressive governments as a visitor is the rule around the world, not the exception. It may be, but I'm happy to have the choice not to visit such places.

nonrandomstring 4y ago

Steganographic overlays are a thing, and look set for wider use as vile regimes tighten their grip. But they are slow - fine for text based reporting, egress of intelligence, protest coordination, or the dissemination of smaller videos maybe, but not meeting the expectations of a generation raised on interactive media.