Mastodawn

Mark Bodenstein Jan 26

The Tor Project

🇮🇷 Update: Brief returns of internet access are driving spikes in Snowflake usage. Please help us run more proxies if you can. ❄️ snowflake.torproject.org

The easiest ways to run Snowflake is by using Tor Browser, Orbot, or installing the browser add on in your current browser. Extra capacity helps people in Iran stay connected when the network comes back online.

Ⓐ persepolis100 Ⓐ 🏳️‍🌈Jan 26

@torproject or just visiting this site and activating the snowflake

https://embed-snowflake.torproject.org/ #snowflake #iran

Snowflake

Ann Effes Jan 26

Some LINK would be nice.

@Ann_Effes @torproject

https://addons.mozilla.org/de/firefox/addon/torproject-snowflake/

Addon for Firefox

Snowflake – Holen Sie sich diese Erweiterung für 🦊 Firefox (de)

Laden Sie Snowflake für Firefox herunter. Help people in censored countries access the Internet without restrictions. Once you install and enable the extension, wait for the snowflake icon to turn green, this means a censored user is connecting through your extension to access the Internet!

Ann Effes Jan 26

@joevan @torproject

Found it. But I do know for certain, that many folks do such stuff if they find a clickable link in the post … and if not "they will look into it later"

Ondrej Zizka Jan 26

@joevan @Ann_Effes @torproject Are we talking about security here?
Having this as a browser extension, next to my banking, email, docs and all, sounds a little crazy. This should be a process running under its own user.

@OndrejZizka @Ann_Effes @torproject

For LINUX:

- it is open source
- it runs in the context of Firefox
- it does not need any additional rights

For WINDOWS:

- everything is always not secure

@OndrejZizka @Ann_Effes @torproject

But if you are concerned: Buy a used Raspberry Pi, install the OS and Docker. Run Snowflake in a docker container:

https://community.torproject.org/relay/setup/snowflake/standalone/docker/

20 to 30 bucks and 30 minutes to install everything

Tor Project | Docker setup

Defend yourself against tracking and surveillance. Circumvent censorship. | Docker setup

Ann Effes Jan 26

@joevan @OndrejZizka @torproject

Why the docker container? Makes things more complicated for beginners and does not add to security if you have a dedicated RPi anyways.

@Ann_Effes @OndrejZizka @torproject Complicated? - No, the setup was very easy. And I am not very familar with Docker.

Ann Effes Jan 26

@joevan @OndrejZizka @torproject

Well … as it is one step more than just installing OS it IS in purely factual terms already more complicated.

Please note that real newbees do not even know what docker IS. So being "not very familliar" is already an advanced level of understanding.

I mean: if you want to convince people who are new to RPi we should keep it as simple as possible.

Using Docker in a single use scenario suits no purpose ... or maybe I do not get it.

@Ann_Effes @OndrejZizka @torproject I will make a short tutorial tomorrow. Very beginner friendly...now it's time to sleep.

Ann Effes Jan 27

@joevan @OndrejZizka @torproject

Cool, but … just do be sure: The question I have is not: "How do I use Docker on a RPi?"
but
"Why should I use Docker on an RPi, especially if I am running only one service?"

Ondrej Zizka Jan 27

@Ann_Effes @joevan @torproject It can give you some convenience. The image is already prepared with almost no need for setup. Versus possible complicated config and setup for a custom system.

Ann Effes Jan 26

@OndrejZizka @joevan @torproject

I use about 4 browsers, each for a certain purpose. I installed the extension in Brave, which I use for test purposes only, nothing serious.

I considered installing it on one of my servers, but my network setup is quite strange (double NAT with IP blackholeing) and because of that it would not work actually.

(And I am on a Mac , not Windows)

Ann Effes Jan 26

Done

cyphercryptic_reboot Jan 26

@torproject the web page doesn't give a lot of detail, even in the faq section. Tor browser (which i use) says it's "ready to use" on the page, but zero info on how to activate and host a snowflake in Tor browser like you can with firefox extension.

Steven Zekowski Jan 26

I've been running this in #Firefox for 3 years since I listened to a talk by its original developer, Serene, at the World Ethical Data Forum in 2022.

It is completely unobtrusive. Here is a good explainer from @eff

https://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2022/10/snowflake-makes-it-easy-anyone-fight-censorship

Serene also has an interesting story
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Serene_(pianist)

#music #software #privacy #activism

Snowflake Makes It Easy For Anyone to Fight Censorship

Tor, the onion router, remains one of the most effective censorship circumvention technologies. Millions of people use the Tor network every day to access the internet without fear of surveillance and censorship.Most people get on the Tor network by downloading the Tor Browser and connecting to a...

Electronic Frontier Foundation

Steven Zekowski Feb 5

@torproject @eff

"Spikes", you're not kidding. I used to see numbers (in the bubble) of 2 or 3. Today I just saw a new high... 40! Overall it's been way higher since your original post. Almost always in double digits.

@torproject how much extra data is to be expected from running snowflake?

@trrektor @torproject statistics of the first hour after setting up a new proxy node today:
In the last 1h0m0s, there were 21 completed successful connections. Traffic Relayed ↓ 15910 KB (4.42 KB/s), ↑ 8912 KB (2.48 KB/s).

So, I don't think you will really notice any impact.

@trrektor @torproject Maximum after 19 hours so far:
In the last 1h0m0s, there were 21 completed successful connections. Traffic Relayed ↓ 66964 KB (18.60 KB/s), ↑ 12179 KB (3.38 KB/s).

RedAlert (Michael)Jan 26

@torproject
Just do it please! 👍

@torproject
I operate, and have for years already, a regular relay. Is that of any help? I might be able to fire up another one, albeit with a rather limited bandwidth.

sb arms & legs Jan 26

@torproject
How do clients know to connect to an instance of snowflake? Does the server 'phone home' somewhere to list itself as available?

@sb @torproject we have to connect to a broker, which gives us an IP address of an active proxy. The broker itself is domain fronted behind another big website (like bunny.net, cdn77, these two currently work on MCI, in my region at least)

bunny.net - The Global Edge Platform that truly Hops

Hop on bunny.net and speed up your web presence with the next-generation Content Delivery Service (CDN), Edge Storage, and Optimization Services at any scale.

bunny.net

sb arms & legs Jan 26

@Shark @torproject
Thank you.

I'm just wondering, once a standalone instance of snowflake is running on a server and the ports have been opened up, how is that instance discovered?

@sb @torproject I'm not sure exactly how, but maybe because snowflake proxies are used as entry nodes, broker discovers them the same way that TOR entry nodes are discovered (which I also don't know how)

maybe tomorrow I'll start reading on it a bit

@sb @torproject found something
"Proxies poll the broker periodically, using ordinary HTTPS requests."
https://www.bamsoftware.com/papers/snowflake/

@sb @torproject also snowflake works behind NAT, there is no need for opening a port.

@sb @torproject Bitchat also uses the tor network by default. So running a Snowflake proxy node will support it as well. 😉

@torproject I'm running the plugin in Brave browser since approximately 2 years or so. But just set up a permanent proxy node on my VPS as well.

byte21516 Jan 27

snowflake-proxy | In the last 1h0m0s, there were 117 completed successful connections. Traffic Relayed ↓ 256469 KB (71.24 KB/s), ↑ 59127 KB (16.42 KB/s).

Wish there was a way to set an alternative limit of connections somehow? Not because I want less, but because I could and would handle WAY more than this

https://mamutovo.cz/@infoekcz/115965925058027014

infoek.cz :archlinux: (@[email protected])

Attached: 1 image 🧅 Pomoc s obcházením cenzury internetu? Nainstalujte Snowflake https://infoek.cz/pomoc-s-obchazenim-cenzury-internetu-nainstalujte-snowflake-2026/ 🧅 Help with bypassing internet censorship? Install Snowflake https://infoek-cz.translate.goog/pomoc-s-obchazenim-cenzury-internetu-nainstalujte-snowflake-2026/?_x_tr_sl=cs&_x_tr_tl=en&_x_tr_hl=cs&_x_tr_pto=wapp @[email protected] #Snowflake #TorBrowser #Tor #Onion #Censorship

Mamutovo

autonoetonaut |

@torproject You're not kidding. I was running a Snowflake Proxy a couple of years ago and would see only a few connections each day. In response to your call, I set one up about 15 hours ago and have had 23 connections so far.

Sami Lehtinen Jan 29

@torproject I'm running three. Deploying via Docker simplifies long-term maintenance and ensures they stay updated while operating 24/7.

Cyb3rrunn3r :fediverse::verified::fckafd:Feb 10

@torproject Installed snowflake-proxy on my Unraid. 👍

Stefan 'lerothas' D.

@torproject in which way do I make myself prosecutable? I'm routing traffic through my internet access and I don't know what it is... Could be anything.