US to unveil platform aiming to bypass internet censorship in China, Iran and beyond

By Fox News · Fox News

FIRST ON FOX : The State Department has finalized a new privacy-preserving app intended to give users worldwide access to what officials describe as the same uncensored internet available to Americans, even in countries with strict online repression such as China and Iran and as Europe enacts tighter content oversight. The platform, Freedom.gov , will roll out "in the coming weeks," Fox News Digital has learned. It will operate as a one-click desktop and mobile application compatible with iOS and Android devices. MARCO RUBIO VOICES CONCERN THAT AMERICANS MAY SOMEDAY BE ARRESTED FOR SOCIAL MEDIA POSTS WHEN VISITING EUROPE The app is open-source and includes built-in anonymity protections. "In the interest of total transparency, we made Freedom.gov completely open-source. But we also made it completely anonymous," a State Department official said. "Anyone can see how it works. No one, including us, can track or identify you." According to the official, the application does not log IP addresses, session data, browsing activity, DNS queries or device identifiers that could be used to personally identify users. Specific details about the app’s underlying technical structure were not disclosed. Governments with sophisticated censorship systems historically have moved quickly to block or criminalize circumvention tools. Authorities can restrict app downloads, block domains, throttle traffic or impose penalties on users. Whether Freedom.gov maintains accessibility in heavily restricted environments may depend on its technical architecture and its ability to adapt to countermeasures. The initiative is being led by Under Secretary for Public Diplomacy Sarah Rogers, who oversees the State Department’s Digital Freedom office. "Freedom.gov is the latest in a long line of efforts by the State Department to protect and promote fundamental freedoms, both online and offline," Rogers said. "The project will be global in its scope, but distinctly American in its mission: commemoratin…