systemhorse
commented
2 weeks ago Reddit users report blocking in Myanmar and possible solutions:
Open wkrp opened 3 weeks ago
systemhorse
commented
2 weeks ago Reddit users report blocking in Myanmar and possible solutions:
wkrp
commented
2 days ago Citing leaked planning documents, Justice for Myanmar claims that the Chinese company implementing VPN blocks is Geedge Networks (Chinese name 积至（海南）信息技术有限公司), a firewall company in Beijing. Justice for Myanmar's report names specific products of Geedge Networks.
2024-06-19: The Myanmar junta’s partners in digital surveillance and censorship (archive)
At the end of May 2024, the junta began using a new web surveillance and censorship system to increase its control of the internet. Leaked documents seen by Justice For Myanmar indicate that the system has capabilities to intercept and decrypt web traffic and block applications and websites, including the widespread use of virtual private networks (VPNs), which are commonly used to bypass junta censorship and surveillance. It can also monitor an individual's use of network applications communicating over the internet, including VPNs, which could be used for further arbitrary arrests.
Planning documents indicate that the system uses network hardware (a secure web gateway) with deep packet inspection for internet surveillance and censorship at internet service providers (including mobile network operators) and internet gateways. Deep packet inspection is a way of processing data that captures, decodes and analyses packets of data, which could include the content of messages and emails and the details of a user’s internet traffic.
According to the planning documents, the new system uses Tiangou Secure Gateway (TSG) (archive) and Cyber Narrator (archive) from Jizhi (Hainan) Information Technology Company Limited, also known as Geedge Networks, a Chinese private network security and intelligence equipment and solutions company.
Geedge Networks was set up in 2018. It is based in the Hainan Free Trade Port with a research and development office in Beijing. One of the company’s founders and chief scientist is Fang Binxing, the “father” of China’s Great Firewall. It is owned by two holding companies: Dongguan Hulian Network Security Investment Partnership (Limited Partnership) and Nali (Chengmai) Information Consulting Center (Limited Partnership), according to records from the company database Orbis. Geedge Networks’ operating revenue has steadily increased from US$11.1 million in 2018 to US$18.5 million in 2021. The company has associated itself with China’s Belt and Road Initiative, of which Myanmar is a participating country.
Geedge Networks’ claims (archive) its members come from the Chinese Academy of Science with extensive experience in deep packet inspection, big data and artificial intelligence.
The report says there are Chinese technicians working on the firewall hardware in Myanmar, though they could not determine if the technicians are employees of Geedge Networks.
The report also mentions a location tracking project being implemented by the China National Electronics Import & Export Corporation (CEIEC).
Thanks to @gusgustavo for bringing this to my attention with comments on the Tor bug tracker. There is other reporting on the Justice for Myanmar report at Radio Free Asia (archive) and Access Now (archive).
Gowee
commented
2 days ago The former name of Geedge Networks in Chinese is 中电积至(海南) 信息技术有限公司 of which the leading word 中电 is possibly short for the China Electronics (Corporation), who owns the CEIEC.
wkrp
commented
2 days ago We have not specifically talked about Geedge Networks on this forum before, but believe it or not, we have discussed research publications written by people who are affiliated with Geedge Networks. (Or who would go on to become affiliated; the publications are from 2018, the same year Geedge was founded.) Besides 方滨兴 (Fang Binxing), there is also 郑超 (Zheng Chao), who coauthored the following publications we have discussed:
Zheng's affiliation on these publication is "Institute of Information Engineering, Chinese Academy of Sciences". This is consistent with the statement on Geedge Networks' "About" page: "Team members come from the Chinese Academic of Science".
https://people.ucas.edu.cn/self/img/2605b94a-9508-4f26-8b0a-fb172aecb846.jpg
At one time, Zheng had an academic webpage at the University of the Chinese Academy of Sciences website, but now it is 404 and I do not know of an archived version.
Zheng's IEEE and ACM profiles have further publications, most of which are relevant to the topic of network filtering:
Since 2024-05-30 there is new blocking of VPNs in (parts of?) Myanmar. People have been using VPNs in Myanmar commonly since 2021 to circumvent blocks of Facebook and other sites.
What I find interesting about the news article is it says that the military government worked with an unspecified Chinese company to implement these new blocks.
https://yktnews.com/2024/05/165124/ (archive)
I found this out from an issue on the Tor bug tracker. There you can see there has been a great increase in bridge users since 2024-05-30.