Anonymous Network Workshop 2025/08¶
In an environment where digital surveillance and internet censorship are increasingly pervasive, journalists, civil society groups, and human rights advocates are facing unprecedented information risks: communications may be intercepted, identities tracked, and the safety of interviewees threatened. In such times, we need to reclaim control over our communications, rather than just relying on platforms.
When press freedom encounters surveillance and censorship, when advocacy actions are monitored and voices suppressed—how can we continue to safely express ourselves and protect human rights and freedoms?
- Date: August 9 (Sat) and August 10 (Sun), 2025
- Location: Room TR-510, Yan-Yang Teaching Building, National Taiwan University of Science and Technology（國立臺灣科技大學 研揚教學大樓 TR-510 教室）
- Conference format: Workshop and roundtable discussions
This workshop will be supported and guided by the local open-source community "Anonymous Network Community anoni.net," introducing open-source anonymous network tools such as Tor, Tails, and OONI. It will assist participants in setting up secondary secure devices, establishing anonymous connections, and conducting network censorship detection, thereby enhancing the digital resilience of their movements and advocacy efforts. Let's work together to implement the infrastructure for information freedom, using technology to safeguard truth and resist oppression.
By attending the workshop, you will gain¶
Digital Security and Anonymous Technology Applications
- How to use the Tor network for anonymous browsing
- Establish a secure, untraceable secondary work environment (using Tails and USB devices)
- Basic threat modeling assessment: Know your adversaries, risks, and corresponding actions
- Use Bridges and Snowflake to bypass internet censorship in blocked countries or environments
Practical Skills and Tool Mastery
- Use Tails to create a portable anonymous operating system for secure work on public or untrusted devices
- Learn how the OONI Probe measures internet censorship and service blocking, and how to report to the global open-source database
- Use TorBrowser and OnionShare for secure document sharing and collaboration
Community Support and Continuous Learning
- Get to know Taiwan's local Anonymous Network Community
- Learn how to contribute to international open-source projects (such as Tor/Tails or OONI)
- Receive ongoing technical support, consultation, and advanced learning resources after the event
Applicable Scenarios and Fields
- Suitable for covering sensitive topics, whistleblower scenarios, and cross-border data verification collaboration
- Building anonymous communication and action channels for NGO transnational cooperation or advocacy in restricted countries and regions
- Basic reference for digital security training and SOP development within organizations
By participating in the roundtable discussions, you will gain deeper insights into¶
Local Engagement and Infrastructure: The Practice Path of Open-Source Communities
- How Open Source Becomes the Foundation of Anonymous Networks: Understand the open-source principles behind tools like Tor, Tails, and OONI, and why only free software can truly protect privacy and resist censorship.
- Possibilities and Significance of Local Engagement: Explore how users in Taiwan can transition from mere users to local contributors to Tor/OONI, bringing anonymous networks closer to our language and cultural environment.
- Establishment and Maintenance Models of Community Nodes: Learn how to assist in establishing foundational nodes and relays like Tor relays and OONI testing points, participate in the infrastructure of internet freedom, and understand their risks and contribution models.
Dissemination and Collaboration: Building a Decentralized Promotion Network
- Creating a Local Open-Source Anonymous Toolkit in Taiwan: Discuss how to integrate these tools into an "anonymous toolkit" that local NGOs, news media, and independent journalists can easily use, promoting the tools' accessibility and usability.
- Strategies and Challenges of Decentralized Promotion: Consider how a decentralized, open-source collaborative promotion plan can be implemented in Taiwan, balancing the allocation of educational, technical, and community collaborative energies.
- Building Connections with Anonymous Network Communities in the Indo-Pacific Region: Learn about the potential and current state of regional cooperation, and understand how to establish mechanisms for exchange and collaboration on anonymous networks with other advocates in the Indo-Pacific region.
Workshop Registration¶
This event will be divided into a workshop and roundtable discussions, held over two days. The event venue can accommodate only about 30 to 45 people, so please seize the opportunity to register and participate.
Event Information¶
- Date: August 9 (Sat) and August 10 (Sun), 2025
- Location: Room TR-510, Yan-Yang Teaching Building, National Taiwan University of Science and Technology
- In Chinese: 國立臺灣科技大學 研揚教學大樓 TR-510 教室
- The teaching building is near Lane 155, Section 3, Keelung Road, on the side of NTU Cancer Center. It is recommended not to enter from the main gate of NTUST, as it is quite far.
- Please refer to the school map, marked at location
15.
OONI Network Interference Observation¶
- Time:
2025/08/09 12:30 - 13:30 UTC+8 - You will learn about:
- What is the OONI project?
- What is OONI Probe and how does it work?
- Installation and usage instructions for the OONI Probe mobile version, and the issue of outdated observation lists in Taiwan
- How to interpret observation data using the OONI Explorer interface
- Interval data, comparison by country category, determining observation results
- Using OONI Run v2 to create observation website lists
- Create your own internet observation list and how to view your results in OONI Explorer
- Other similar observation data projects
- Cloudflare Radar, IODA, Sinar Project
Tor, Tails Anonymous Network¶
- Time:
2025/08/09 13:30 - 15:30 UTC+8 - You will learn about:
- The concept and scenarios of having a second device
- How to protect your online identity and data by separating work and personal activities
- Understanding the Tails anonymous operating system
- How Tails integrates with the Tor Onion Network to enable anonymous browsing and communication
- Principles of Tor
- How to connect to .onion domain websites
- Hands-on installation of Tails
- How to install and set up Tails on a USB flash drive for secure online and offline operations
- The concept and scenarios of having a second device
Reminder
- A laptop is required during the event. Please remember to bring your device when registering for this workshop. There will be temporary internet access available on-site for use during the workshop.
Workshop Lecture¶
In the only lecture session of this workshop, we will revisit the content of Roger’s presentation at RightsCon 2025 in Taipei. This will provide you with insights into the current status of Tor worldwide, how the general public misunderstands the Tor onion routing network (commonly referred to as the dark web), and how to protect personal privacy while promoting internet freedom-related policies.
| Type/Date/Time | Topic |
|---|---|
| Lecture 2025/08/09 10:30-11:30 note |
Tor: Defending your online privacy in a surveillance world Reviewing the Tor Project founder's discussion on the state of internet freedom and Tor's efforts in protecting user privacy. Reminder on the misuse of technology: How can we address improper use or misunderstandings that lead to stereotypes about the dark web? Educate users on how to protect their personal privacy, and support or participate in relevant policy advocacy efforts to promote reasonable internet freedom policies. |
Roundtable Discussions¶
In addition to the workshop activities, we would like to take this opportunity to explore the potential for collaboration between news media, independent journalists, civil society groups, and the open-source technology community. We also invite everyone to discuss their vision for the future of the "Anonymous Network Community." We aim to find ways to provide assistance, whether in terms of technical support or resource coordination. Hopefully, through this roundtable discussion, we can discover more possibilities!
| Type/Date/Time | Topic |
|---|---|
| Roundtable 2025/08/09 11:30-12:30 note |
Free Software and Digital Rights: Why Is Open Source Key to Anonymous Tools? Why is open source important for journalists and civic groups? How can trust in these tools be established? Explore core values such as "verifiability," "censorship resistance," and "community governance." Open-source vs. closed commercial cybersecurity tools: How should we choose? |
| Roundtable 2025/08/09 15:30-16:30 note |
Promoting a Decentralized, Open-Source Collaborative Anonymous Network Initiative How can we delegate tasks if we use a civic tech community and open-source community collaboration model? Can we establish an "Open-Source Maintenance Team" (working group model) to maintain Tor/OONI servers and regularly test ISP blocking conditions? What non-technical roles (e.g., design, translation, instructors, writers) can participate? |
| Type/Date/Time | Topic |
|---|---|
| Roundtable 2025/08/10 11:00-12:00 note |
From User to Contributor: How Taiwan Can Establish Community Nodes and Feedback Models for Tor/OONI Does Taiwan have foundational nodes like Tor relays or OONI Probe? How are they functioning? What are the practical technical, administrative, and legal challenges? (e.g., hosting costs, blockages, legal concerns) Can we operate and mentor newcomers through a community approach? |
| Roundtable 2025/08/10 13:00-14:00 note |
The Open-Source foundation and Local Participation Possibilities of Tor/Tails/OONI How do these tools operate? What free software and open-source protocols do they adopt? In what aspects can Taiwanese developers or cybersecurity researchers participate? (e.g., translation, bug reporting, creating tutorials) How can we reduce the "technical distance" to encourage more people to contribute? |
| Roundtable 2025/08/10 14:00-15:00 note |
How to Localize an Open-Source Anonymous Toolkit? From everyday browsing (Tor) to operating systems (Tails) and internet monitoring (OONI), what other open-source tools can be included? What does the toolkit look like? (e.g., Live USB image, local language packs, manuals) Launching a "Taiwan version" of a simplified kit (suitable for NGOs, journalists, beginners) |
Complete Event Schedule¶
- Date: August 9 (Sat) and August 10 (Sun), 2025
- Location: Room TR-510, Yan-Yang Teaching Building, National Taiwan University of Science and Technology
- In Chinese: 國立臺灣科技大學 研揚教學大樓 TR-510 教室
- The teaching building is near Lane 155, Section 3, Keelung Road, on the side of NTU Cancer Center. It is recommended not to enter from the main gate of NTUST, as it is quite far.
- Please refer to the school map, marked at location
15.
Day 1¶
| Type/Date/Time | Topic |
|---|---|
| Lecture 2025/08/09 10:30-11:30 note |
Tor: Defending your online privacy in a surveillance world Reviewing the Tor Project founder's discussion on the state of internet freedom and Tor's efforts in protecting user privacy. Reminder on the misuse of technology: How can we address improper use or misunderstandings that lead to stereotypes about the dark web? Educate users on how to protect their personal privacy, and support or participate in relevant policy advocacy efforts to promote reasonable internet freedom policies. |
| Roundtable 2025/08/09 11:30-12:30 note |
Free Software and Digital Rights: Why Is Open Source Key to Anonymous Tools? Why is open source important for journalists and civic groups? How can trust in these tools be established? Explore core values such as "verifiability," "censorship resistance," and "community governance." Open-source vs. closed commercial cybersecurity tools: How should we choose? |
| Workshop 2025/08/09 12:30-13:30 note |
OONI Network Interference Observation What is the OONI project? What is OONI Probe and how does it work? How to interpret observation data using the OONI Explorer interface Using OONI Run v2 to create observation website lists Other similar observation data projects |
| Workshop 2025/08/09 13:30-15:30 note |
Tor, Tails Anonymous Network The concept and scenarios of having a second device Understanding the Tails anonymous operating system Principles of Tor Hands-on installation of Tails |
| Roundtable 2025/08/09 15:30-16:30 note |
Promoting a Decentralized, Open-Source Collaborative Anonymous Network Initiative How can we delegate tasks if we use a civic tech community and open-source community collaboration model? Can we establish an "Open-Source Maintenance Team" (working group model) to maintain Tor/OONI servers and regularly test ISP blocking conditions? What non-technical roles (e.g., design, translation, instructors, writers) can participate? |
Day 2¶
| Type/Date/Time | Topic |
|---|---|
| Roundtable 2025/08/10 11:00-12:00 note |
From User to Contributor: How Taiwan Can Establish Community Nodes and Feedback Models for Tor/OONI Does Taiwan have foundational nodes like Tor relays or OONI Probe? How are they functioning? What are the practical technical, administrative, and legal challenges? (e.g., hosting costs, blockages, legal concerns) Can we operate and mentor newcomers through a community approach? |
| Roundtable 2025/08/10 13:00-14:00 note |
The Open-Source foundation and Local Participation Possibilities of Tor/Tails/OONI How do these tools operate? What free software and open-source protocols do they adopt? In what aspects can Taiwanese developers or cybersecurity researchers participate? (e.g., translation, bug reporting, creating tutorials) How can we reduce the "technical distance" to encourage more people to contribute? |
| Roundtable 2025/08/10 14:00-15:00 note |
How to Localize an Open-Source Anonymous Toolkit? From everyday browsing (Tor) to operating systems (Tails) and internet monitoring (OONI), what other open-source tools can be included? What does the toolkit look like? (e.g., Live USB image, local language packs, manuals) Launching a "Taiwan version" of a simplified kit (suitable for NGOs, journalists, beginners) |
Subscribe to the Newsletter: Stay Updated on Event Changes
Since there may be adjustments to the event details and timing before it takes place, if you have already registered, we will inform you of any updates via email. If you haven't registered yet, we recommend subscribing to the newsletter to receive the latest updates. We'll also share the most recent event developments in the newsletter!