Free Microsoft licences to help combat censorship

19 Oct 2010 | Index Index, minipost

Microsoft is extending its program of giving free software licences to non-profit organisations. The initiative was first applied to Russia, after it was discovered that authorities were using software piracy inquiries as a method of suppressing independent media outlets and advocacy groups. The program will now include 500,000 NGOs in Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, China, Malaysia, and Vietnam. Prior to the announcement NGOs could only obtain a free licence if they were aware of the program and followed the necessary procedure. According to Microsoft’s official blog announcement, the unilateral licence will last until 2012.

Tor

20 May 2009 | Resources

Tor is free software and an open network that helps defend against a form of network surveillance that threatens personal freedom and privacy, confidential business activities and relationships, and state security known as traffic analysis.

Psiphon

20 May 2009 | Resources

Psiphon is a censorship circumvention solution that allows users to access blocked sites in countries where the Internet is censored.

403 Checker

14 May 2009 | Resources

The 403 Access Denied Checker has been designed to help activists in nations with extensive online censorship to test local blockages. The software aims to make it easy for any one to quickly check a huge number of URLs and share the result with the public. Its main goal is help get feedback for people with no access to experts, who are living under repressive regimes.