Today’s Pick: UofT lab software tool wins international award
psiphon — an anti-internet-censorship tool designed by the University of Toronto’s Citizen Lab — is the first recipient of a new award for digital pioneers chosen by an international group of specialists and awarded in Paris this month.
The psiphon software allows computer users to access blocked sites in countries where the Internet is censored. It acts as a “web proxy”: authenticated users request blocked websites from psiphon and psiphon requests and delivers the material back to the user. The requested website only has direct contact with psiphon. Users never have to install any software on their computer or change any settings: they simply log in.
How do you get access to this log in? Enter the all-powerful social network. Some good-hearted person in an uncensored region installs the software. They can then send a unique web address to the people in need that they know. People they trust.
And it’s all free.
On top of all the feel-good motivations, Psiphon Inc. is also working to provide reporters with unrestricted internet access for this summer’s Olympics in Beijing.
Congrats to our local social entrepreneurs!
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Cathy is the Portal Manager at MaRS, responsible for all online media programs.
She helps bring the blogger out in all of us and keeps us informed about the MaRS community through our website and newsletters.