Tor in Russia: A call for more WebTunnel bridges

We are calling on the Tor community and the Internet freedom community to help us scale up WebTunnel bridges. If you've ever thought about running a Tor bridge, now is the time. Our goal is to deploy 200 new WebTunnel bridges by the end of this December (2024) to open secure access for users in Russia.

The campaign starts today, November 28, 2024, and will run until March 10, 2025. As a token of our appreciation for your volunteer work, we're offering a Tor t-shirt to operators who run 5 or more WebTunnel bridges during this period. Please note: Only one t-shirt will be awarded per operator. See the technical requirements below to participate in the campaign.

Recent reports from Tor users in Russia indicate an escalation in online censorship with the goal of blocking access to Tor and other circumvention tools. This new wave includes attempts to block Tor bridges and pluggable transports developed by the Tor Project, removal of circumvention apps from stores, and targeting popular hosting providers, shrinking the space for bypassing censorship. Despite these ongoing actions, Tor remains effective.

One alarming trend is the targeted blocking of popular hosting providers by Roscomnadzor. As many circumvention tools are using them, this action made some Tor bridges inaccessible to many users in Russia.
As Roscomnadzor and internet service providers in Russia are increasing their blocking efforts, the need for more WebTunnel bridges has become urgent.

https://blog.torproject.org/call-for-webtunnel-bridges/

PSA: Older Tor Browsers (13.5.11) Breaking, Update Now!

The expiration, happening on March 14 2025, of a root certificate used by Mozilla for add-ons verification on Firefox 115.12 and below, can suddenly disable extensions, including the built-in NoScript, and cause functionality such as the Security Slider to break on Tor Browser versions older than 13.5.11 legacy.

We hope the vast majority of Tor Browser users are already up-to-date with the latest available version for their OS, currently 14.0.7 stable or 13.5.13 legacy, which also provide the newest security fixes.

The few who are not yet, should update immediately from the Tor Browser download page in order to prevent the aforementioned functionality breakage and other security risks.

https://telegra.ph/Older-Tor-Browsers-Breaking-Update-Now-03-13

We have received reports that social media and instant messaging apps are blocked in Türkiye today.

To our Turkish friends: Tor-powered tools like Tor Browser and Orbot remain operational, allowing you to access the blocked online services.

If you need assistance with Tor Browser, please contact our support team:

📧 Email: frontdesk@torproject.org
💬 Telegram: @TorProjectSupportBot

Tor user support now available in Farsi!

Providing user support to people in regions where Tor access is restricted is a priority for the Tor Project. As part of this commitment, we're expanding the languages in which users can receive help - and today, we're announcing the addition of Farsi user support.

Farsi-speaking users can now contact us directly for help with accessing the Tor network. Whether you're trying to download Tor Browser, bypass online censorship, or need assistance navigating Tor connectivity issues, our support team is available to help.

Tor user support is available via Telegram, WhatsApp, Signal, and email, from Monday through Thursday, from 19:30 - 01:30 Iran time (same day to next day). Support is provided via text only; voice and video are not supported.

https://telegra.ph/Tor-user-support-now-available-in-Farsi-04-24

愿意铭记的你终将得以选择见证历史。/
You, the person willing to remember, will eventually have the choice to witness history.

Help Iranians stay connected!

The internet access has been heavily disrupted across the country.

Please consider running a Tor Snowflake proxy - it's a quick and meaningful way to help Iranians stay online.

Please note that the snowflake browser addon seems more efficient in Iran. https://snowflake.torproject.org/

🚨 We're still in need of more #snowflake extensions to help keep Iranians connected during this critical time.

If you're able, please consider running a Tor Snowflake proxy. This simple and safe action can make a significant difference in ensuring Iranians stay online. #KeepItOn

To get started, visit: https://snowflake.torproject.org

We’ve added support for WebTunnel bridges to our Telegram bot @GetBridgesBot!

- To get obfs4 bridges, send the command: /obfs4
- To get WebTunnel bridges, send: /webtunnel

Or just tap/click on the corresponding command in the the menu!

If you don’t see any new commands, clear the bot’s history. https://forum.torproject.org/t/the-telegram-bot-getbridgesbot-now-supports-webtunnel-bridges/20127

Telegram-бот @GetBridgesBot теперь присылает мосты WebTunnel!

Мы добавили в наш телеграм-бот @GetBridgesBot возможность присылать мосты WebTunnel.

- Чтобы получить мосты obfs4 - отправьте боту команду /obfs4
- Чтобы получить мосты WebTunnel - отправьте команду /webtunnel

Или используйте соответствующие команды в меню бота!

Если вы не видите новых команд - очистите историю бота.

Helpdesk: Tor user support now in Farsi!
Farsi-speaking users can now get help with downloading Tor Browser, bypassing censorship, and solving connectivity issues.

📅 Mon - Thu, 19:30 - 01:30 Iran time
💬 Telegram, WhatsApp, Signal, Email (text only) https://telegra.ph/Tor-user-support-now-available-in-Farsi-04-24

Corruption and Control: How Turkmenistan turned internet censorship into a business

In Turkmenistan, one of the most isolated regimes in the world, internet censorship has evolved beyond surveillance and control.
In 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.

https://blog.torproject.org/Corruption-Control-Turkmenistan-internet-censorship-business/

Tor Project's 2025 Fundraising Campaign is Live! 🎉

Although the modern internet has been corrupted by rampant privacy violations and pervasive government spying, we have the power to FREE THE INTERNET from the chains of censorship and surveillance. ⛓️‍💥

As a nonprofit, we rely on donations to power our tools -- the Tor network, Tor Browser, Tails OS, and the Tor ecosystem. These tools are trusted by millions and always free to use, without collecting, selling, trading, or renting any of your data for profit.

Donate today and take advantage of doubling your donation!

https://torproject.org/donate/donate-tel-yec2025

Finding help with Tor just got easier!

📢 We've unified all user documentation under one roof: https://support.torproject.org/

This project was a true community effort. Huge shoutout to Sutty for building the component library that makes this (and future Tor sites) possible. 🙌

The portal is live in 10 languages, but we need your help! Join translators worldwide in making Tor documentation accessible to everyone.

Redirect Cyber Monday purchases away from Big Tech

We're not Big Tech pushing disposable gadgets and doorbuster deals. The Tor Project is a nonprofit fighting for a free internet– free from censorship and surveillance. This Cyber Monday, consider redirecting the money you might spend on Big Tech platforms and donate. 🧅

https://donate.torproject.org/