OTF 2013 Projects Part 2

 
Thu, 2014-01-16 20:37

Even more projects received OTF support in fiscal year 2013. The following projects complete our portfolio for the 2013 fiscal year. We look forward to the release of all of our current projects and constructive feedback on how we can continue to support the community in the coming years.

Cryptocat

Cryptocat is a web application that aims to provide an open source, browser-based communication environment with security that is comparable to desktop-based encrypted chat applications. Cryptocat aims to leverage both the ease of use and accessibility afforded by web applications and the security provided by client-side public key cryptosystems. For a second year, Cryptocat will receive support from the Open Technology Fund. This year the focus of the support will shift from application development to work on developing and implementing a multi-party off-the-record (mpOTR) chat protocol.

Cupcake Bridge

Cupcake Bridge is a Chrome browser extension that allows users to become new Tor bridges automatically, without having to install a full software suite or configure anything. Tor bridges are Tor relays that aren’t listed in the main Tor directory. They are a step forward in the blocking resistance race. This project would bring create a Cupcake Bridge extension for Firefox and plugins to work on sites like WordPress and Drupal significantly growing the number of global Tor bridges.

Mailvelope

Mailvelope is a browser extension that allows exchange of encrypted emails following the OpenPGP encryption standard and integrates directly into the Webmail user interface of major webmail providers, it’s elements are unobtrusive and easy to use in your normal workflow.

Measurement Lab

This project will build a new software client for M­-Lab testing by developing a browser extension or similar software integration for one or more of the popular open source browsers. Once deployed, this tool will enable any user to become a regular and reliable part of the M­Lab community. It will also give researchers and policymakers a tool for real­time monitoring of censorship activity with a capability to zoom in on particular user communities on particular networks in particular geographies.

OONI

Ooni-probe, the Open Observatory of Networking Interference, is an open source network testing framework and associated tests for detecting internet censorship. Its aim is to collect high quality data using open methodologies, using Free and Open Source Software (FL/OSS) to share observations and data about the kind, methods and amount of surveillance and censorship in the world. Measurement Lab is an open platform for researchers to deploy Internet measurement tools. By enhancing Internet transparency, M-Lab helps sustain a healthy, innovative Internet.

SecondMuse

SecondMuse is an innovation and collaboration agency. They co-create prosperity by applying the art and science of collaboration to solve complex problems. This project is to aid in the creation and development of more effective Internet Freedom tools (IFTs) through the application of a research framework grounded in ethnography, human-­centered design, and the practice of research-­based product definition. This framework will define motivations, needs and usability challenges facing user communities of target IFTs and provide development and design milestones that are necessary to address these challenges. This work will also provide selective recommendations to developers of specific IFTs in the form of proposed development milestones to address the findings of a pilot study.

Thinkst

Armies of online drones, compromised social network accounts, and surrogate users known as “Internet sock puppets” are used to drown out the voice of the voiceless. These sock puppets are used by repressive regimes to deflect or redirect conversations that are important. Essentially, the use of these sock puppets threaten the benefits offered by a free Internet by abusing that same freedom. This makes for an insidious attack, because one of the fixes against sock puppet attacks would be to reduce Internet anonymity. A case where the cure might be much worse than the illness itself. This makes this project all the more important. It will map out these attacks, identify in depth the techniques commonly utilized, and build a set of tools to be used by organizations and the public to help defend against this attack.

Tor Project

This effort will focus on expanding security and usability of the Tor Browser Bundle (TBB). Tor Browser is used by millions worldwide daily and has been downloaded over 36 million times in the past 12 months. The project will identify and resolve privacy and security issues in Firefox that impact TBB users; improve the usability and functionality of the Firefox extensions that we include with TBB; finish and extend the “reproducible build” design that allows users to gain confidence that TBB includes exactly and only the components intended to be included.

You can also view more projects this year in our OTF Project Part 1 update.

Projects Mentioned