Regrettably, Internet filtering is getting more of popularity today. Although the situation in Europe is not (yet) critical, we already have the chance to observe how various social networks very simply restrict access to some of their users if there is even the slightest suspicion that the user is “violating the community guidelines”.
“Shadowsocks” is an intriguing option if you want to circumvent Internet filtering. This name is not only fascinating, but it also makes a promise to circumvent practically all online barriers.
See what this protocol is capable of and what it is not…
What Is Shadowsocks?
A plug-in utility called Shadowsocks enables you to get around web censorship. Whilst you will need some technical know-how to put it up, it is extensively used in China by individuals who want to ‘tunnel’ under the Great Firewall (GFW), the virtual wall that guards China’s Internet against foreign influence.
In fact, Shadowsocks is just so effective at getting through the GFW that there is a solid incentive to use it rather than virtual private networks (VPNs), which were previously thought to be the best tool for the job. Shadowsocks is not only free to use, but it also obscures communications a little more effectively than VPNs.
However, let’s first discuss Shadowsocks’ origins before delving further.
Who Developed Shadowsocks?
A Chinese programmer using the name “clowwindy” created Shadowsocks, posting the original script version to GitHub in 2012. The protocol was a big success, and clowwindy kept working on it while also creating a free VPN service called ShadowVPN for several years.
However, in 2015, clowwindy posted on GitHub that he had been located by the police, who had instructed him to stop developing Shadowsocks and, most likely, ShadowVPN. Additionally, he was compelled to remove the code from GitHub and had no alternative but to do so. He continued by saying that he hoped to live in a nation someday where he would be able to develop any kind of code he wanted without worrying about being persecuted.
What Happened to Clowwindy?
Clowwindy disappeared from the Internet for a while after this final post. According to rumors, messages saying that everything was fine temporarily emerged online after clowwindy received an “invitation to tea”(a phrase that carries about the same amount of danger as the notorious “friendly chat” of the KGB). Then, the person (or people) known as clowwindy vanished from the Internet.
Fortunately, clowwindy’s work has not yet been thrown into history’s trash can. Instead, the group of enthusiasts kept working on Shadowsocks. This is still a potent component of communications technology that has grown even more at overcoming obstacles as of the time of writing.
How Does Shadowsocks Work?
Shadowsocks is intriguing since it resembles a lot of other programs while also being distinctive enough to warrant its own category. Technically, it is merely a proxy because it routes your Internet traffic through a different server to give the impression that you are somewhere else.
You access your Internet service provider’s (ISP’s) server in a typical network connection, like the one you are likely using right now, and then navigate to the website you wish to visit. The Internet Service Provider is typically instructed to deny access to a site’s IP address if the authorities seek to block it. By using a proxy, you can bypass ISP restrictions and access straight to the site you want.
Regular proxies, on the other hand, are extremely insecure because there is often no good way to safeguard a connection given that the majority of websites can simply determine that you are using one. Shadowsocks, though, is based on the SOCKS5 proxy protocol, which protects the connection utilizing AEAD code, much like an SSH tunnel. AEAD ciphers offer a significant improvement over standard proxies, although not being as secure as conventional AES encryption. They often either employ an older, unencrypted version of SOCKS or an HTTP-based protocol that is primarily just a rerouted unprotected connection. By using either of them, you put yourself at risk of being spied on by, well, just about anyone.
Shadowsocks and VPNs
After reading the foregoing, you might believe that virtual private networks, which likewise divert connections but also secure them, seem a lot like Shadowsocks. Well, Shadowsocks does not provide the same level of protection as a VPN, though, as a result of its slightly less robust encryption.
But because Shadowsocks uses less encryption, it can ‘fly’ under the radar more effectively than a VPN. ISPs might easily recognize VPN traffic if they so desired, but a Shadowsocks connection is considerably more difficult to spot because it resembles a conventional HTTPS connection almost exactly.
Disadvantages of Shadowsocks
For all these grounds, Shadowsocks is a great option for getting around censorship barriers. But it is not without flaws and shortcomings, especially in comparison to VPNs or perhaps even Tor. First of all, setting up Shadowsocks involves some technical knowledge of how connections and computers operate.
When utilizing a VPN, you often just need to install it, whereas, with Shadowsocks, you need to sit down, read the manual, and establish the server. There is a risk that Shadowsocks will reduce your Internet speed by a notch, depending on how you have it configured. Any redirection technique, though, can slow you down; some are worse than others. Although a decent server can alleviate the ‘pain’, employing Shadowsocks typically results in a substantially slower connection. Shadowsocks, unlike VPNs, cannot be used to alter the Netflix region or even to download torrent files, but it can be used to get around country-specific restrictions for playing at Monero casino sites, for example.
You could counter that none of that counts because Shadowsocks was created to circumvent the limitations on free expression imposed by governments (like China’s). It does it wonderfully, thus we advise anyone looking to bypass Internet restrictions to at the very least evaluate it.
Tools like this can be very helpful in today’s environment when there is an increasing amount of discourse about democracy, civil freedoms, and tolerance, yet an increasing amount of online content is being banned for those who are unsuited. In no way is Shadowsocks illegal or against any laws or rules that have been set up. Accessing the freedom of information to which every one of us is entitled is made easier with the aid of Shadowsocks. This is one of the protocol’s biggest benefits, though we still hope we will not have to use it and that it will only be an option for individuals who want to explore the Internet’s vastness; it is not necessarily designed merely for casual browsing.
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