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Blocking Online Privacy And Circumvention Tools Blocking Online Privacy and Circumvention Tools Geedge products are being used to block certain privacy and circumvention tools in client countries. Specifically, leaked documents reveal Geedge equipment was used to prevent access to Tor, VPNs, and circumvention tools like Psiphon. Blocking Tor The Tor network is a free, open-source system designed to enhance online privacy and anonymity. Tor is widely used by individuals seeking to protect their privacy, such as journalists and activists in repressive regions and those aiming to circumvent internet censorship. It works by routing internet traffic through a decentralized network of over 7,000 volunteer-operated relays worldwide, employing a technique known as onion routing. This method routes a user’s traffic through three relays, encrypting users’ traffic at every step and making it challenging to trace user’s online activities. While Tor employs a range of technical methods, such as un-listed bridge relays, to evade detection by deep packet inspection and other censorship techniques, some governments still manage to restrict or block access to the tool.73 The leaked data reveals significant information about Geedge Networks’ efforts to block access to Tor. Clients in Myanmar and China are actively working to restrict access to Tor, primarily targeting the mobile versions of Tor powered apps like Tor Browser for Android and Orbot. Data from the Open Observatory and Network Interference (OONI) project, along with relay metrics published by the Tor Project, indicate that Tor has been effectively blocked in Myanmar since May 2024. The leaked documents confirm previous speculations that Geedge Networks’ equipment was used to implement these restrictions. Although the complete list of Tor bridges is not publicly available, when a Tor user is unable to connect to Tor directly they can request a small subset of bridges from a bridge distribution channel. While bridges are frequently added and removed, the overall set remains relatively static, which means that a determined adversary could eventually compile a nearly complete list by repeatedly querying the bridge distribution system. We have been unable to definitively determine whether Geedge Networks collects this information themselves or acquires it from a third party. Snowflake is a pluggable transport designed to circumvent deep packet inspection by disguising Tor traffic as WebRTC, a peer-to-peer protocol frequently used for audio and video conferencing. After Geedge’s success in blocking direct connections to Tor, Snowflake was made the default connection in the Tor Browser for users in Myanmar. WebTunnel is a new Tor pluggable transport that can conceal network traffic as innocuous HTTPS web traffic. Geedge Networks appears to lack any effective countermeasures ... 57

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The Internet Coup A Technical Analysis on How a Chinese Company is Exporting The Great Firewall to Autocratic Regimes

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English

Topic

Digital Rights
Digital Surveillance
Internet Connectivity / Accessibility
Internet Restrictions

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INTER SECLAB

Date Published: Sep 9, 2025

Abstract: Over the past two decades, the Chinese government has been steadily refining their model of internet control using surveillance and censorship technologies domestically while promoting this approach to other nations under the banner of “digital sovereignty”. Through the export of these technologies, China is not only extending its global influence but also laying the foundation for a federated system of internet governance. In this system, Chinese companies provide the infrastructure and expertise for client governments to more easily monitor and control their own networks, while learning from these deployments and improving collective capacity for digital authoritarianism worldwide.

This research by InterSecLab uncovers evidence of the export of a suite of technologies resembling China’s Great Firewall by Geedge Networks, a private company linked to the academic entity ‘Massive and Effective Stream Analysis’ (Mesalab), a research laboratory at the Chinese Academy of Sciences. Our team’s investigation identifies a pattern of commercialization of surveillance capabilities, with Geedge Networks offering a suite of products that enable comprehensive monitoring and control of internet users.

InterSecLab’s analysis reveals that Geedge Networks is contracted with governments in Kazakhstan, Ethiopia, Pakistan, Myanmar, and one other unknown country to establish sophisticated systems of internet censorship and surveillance. Furthermore, our findings indicate that Geedge Networks is also involved in developing similar systems deployed within China, including in Xinjiang and other regions.

Based on analysis of a leak of more than 100,000 Geedge Networks documents that was shared with InterSecLab, this research sheds light on the features and capabilities of Geedge Networks’ systems, which include deep packet inspection, real-time monitoring of mobile subscribers, granular control over internet traffic, as well as censorship rules that can be tailored to each region. The leak also reveals information about Geedge Networks’ relationship with the academic entity, Mesalab, as well as their interactions with client governments. The implications for data sovereignty are significant, and our findings raise concerns about the commoditization of surveillance and information control technologies.

This research examines the recent development of Geedge Networks’ systems in various countries, including what is known about their deployment timelines. By analyzing the company’s internal documentation, InterSecLab was able to chronicle the expansion of commercially available national firewalls and speculate about the implications for the future of the global internet considering the spread of such systems.

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The Internet Coup A Technical Analysis on How a Chinese Company is Exporting The Great Firewall to Autocratic Regimes

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