Mastodawn

RE: https://oldbytes.space/@bitsavers/116346860152891077

I can confirm; the number of ways my parents could reach out to me is decreasing. I can give them a call, but the calls from their side aren't reaching me. My primary email cannot interact with their primary email, but at least emails from their secondary email reach mine, and vice versa. The Russian government can read our email correspondence this way, of course.

The VPN is getting actively erased, and there are even rumours of criminalising the use of VPN services, so my parents are afraid of using one. It's even more interesting with the government basically mandating the installation of a government MITM&MDM software on all the mobile devices.

Things are grim. Gotta ask my dad whether he has any interest in returning to the HAM radio circles :D

@nina_kali_nina I assume having your parents set up Thunderbird with PGP/MIME would be too tall a hurdle?

Nina Kalinina 1d ago

@shinmera most likely; they don't like following my advice at all :D

@nina_kali_nina

right

Nina Kalinina 16h ago

@shinmera well, my parents are somewhat far right, I don't like their opinions, they don't like mine...

Tim 🛥️🌈16h ago

@nina_kali_nina
I'm guessing they don't want to leave either?

Nina Kalinina 15h ago

@spodlife mostly, but it's complicated. There are very few places where they could move, and it's not an easy decision to leave 70 years of your life and graves of your parents behind.

@nina_kali_nina

cliffordheath 1d ago

@nina_kali_nina Reticulum is architected for exactly this scenario

Northern Scrub 1d ago

@nina_kali_nina this was a little while ago, so I don't quite know if it still works, but one of our foss community members was using something like this to get access to discord in Russia. The means and intensity of internet censorship seems to differ betwren oblasts(?), and it didn't work for everything, but it might help them access a message board that you can share with them. Maybe set up a little private forum or smth. You might eben be able to set up an element call instance and be able to video chat with them

https://github.com/Volodymyr156/GoodbyeDPI_Valdik

GitHub - Volodymyr156/GoodbyeDPI_Valdik: GoodbyeDPI — Deep Packet Inspection circumvention utility (for Windows)

GoodbyeDPI — Deep Packet Inspection circumvention utility (for Windows) - Volodymyr156/GoodbyeDPI_Valdik

GitHub

crzwdjk ✅ 23h ago

@northernscrub @nina_kali_nina I think this stuff needs constant configuration and tweaking to stay ahead of the blocks. My father (who is a sysadmin) can figure it out, my grandmother (who is almost 90) cannot.

Nina Kalinina 15h ago

@northernscrub it used to work, but the government mostly found a way to fight it. And, well, if the network goes into allowlist mode, as it does every now and then, then nothing works at all. And it's not even the worst scenario, the network is turned off completely every now and then.

Northern Scrub 15h ago

@nina_kali_nina I was wrong, I asked dude and it's this: https://github.com/Flowseal/zapret-discord-youtube/releases/

According to them, it is unaffected by changes in network state (apart from complete disconnection), but there is a bit of a language barrier so YMMV

Releases · Flowseal/zapret-discord-youtube

Contribute to Flowseal/zapret-discord-youtube development by creating an account on GitHub.

GitHub

Nina Kalinina 15h ago

@northernscrub wow this thing is shady as heck :) "just use my binary files, bro, ignore the antivirus, bro". It is especially concerning in the light of proxy services that were created by the government itself to spy on the users. Impossible to tell if it's a scam, a honeypot or a legit service made by a non-engineer

Northern Scrub 15h ago

@nina_kali_nina hahahaha I haven't actually looked too deeply, I just saw our guy using it successfully. Up to you ig.

Although now that you mention it, I would not be surprised if there were fkn *loads* of honeypots about. grumble grumble

@nina_kali_nina I was not aware of how far they've gone in the most recent developments. If they're willing to turn off all but a few government apps that's pretty bleak.

@nina_kali_nina hmm, Isn't there an even higher risk of being targeted if doing HAM activities?

No idea how it is there, but here in Italy it's explicitly illegal to use any encryption on the amateur bands. You MUST be monitorable.

You only risk a fine and suspension of licence here, but I suspect you might end up much worse there...

Nina Kalinina 15h ago

@hkz there's an ongoing case of Belarus where people doing HAM were claimed to be terrorists. It is possible that something similar will happen in Russia. At the same time, it's not like I need encryption to ask my dad if he's well :)

@nina_kali_nina oh shit. Now that you mention it I did remember reading about that Belarus case from a link my local ham radio group shared.

Yeah, indeed encryption for that is overkill and dangerous. I hope you'll at least be left with unencrypted/state-controlled emails too as another route for these basic exchanges and they're not going to cut them off completely.

Mikhail 💛💙17h ago

@nina_kali_nina So far VPNs seem to work, but it is scary where this is headed and when it will eventually happen.

betabug... Sascha Welter 17h ago

@nina_kali_nina Given how HAM radio people were targetted in Belarus, that might not be the best path.