A New App Notifies Internet Users When They’re Being Watched, Censored

It's not paranoia if you KNOW they're out to get you

February 8, 2017 9:00 am

We have a problem with fake news.

But some places can’t even get the news, fake or real.

Enter OONIProbe. Using anonymity software from the Tor Project, this new app alerts users to types of network anomaly and interference, including blocked websites, government censorship, surveillance and slowed network speeds, according to Cyberscoop. Bonus: The app will also tell you how to circumvent those issues via VPNs, proxies and whatnot. This is a long-standing mission of the Tor-backed Open Observatory of Network Interference, which has measured Internet censorship across 90 countries since 2012.

The app will be available on iOS and Android this week.

In other Internet security news, those looking to hide their Internet presence may want to check out Confide, an increasingly popular chat app that both encrypts and — once you read them — deletes messages. Senate Republicans are apparently becoming big fans; had they read InsideHook, they would have known about the app three years ago.

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