Internet Censorship Course / Book Workshop
Information dissemination and online discourse on the Internet are subject to the algorithms and filters that operate on Internet infrastructure, from network firewalls to search engines. This course will explore the technologies that are used to control access to online speech and information, and cutting-edge technologies that can empower citizens in the face of these information controls. Students will learn about and experiment with technologies to control online discourse, ranging from firewalls that perform network traffic filtering to algorithms for content personalization and content moderation. We will also explore underlying technical trends, such as the increasing consolidation of Internet infrastructure and protocols, and the implications of consolidation for control over online discourse. Each course meeting will include a technical overview, reading discussion, and a hands-on laboratory activity.
More details are in the course syllabus.
A planned agenda for each lecture is in the agenda.
| Class | Topic | Reading | Activity |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | The What and Why of Information Control | 1 | DNS |
| Attacks on Integrity | |||
| 2 | DNS and TCP/IP Manipulation | 2.1 | DoH/DNSSEC |
| 3 | BGP and Web Manipulation | 2.2 | BGP |
| 4 | Throttling and Rate Limiting | 2.3 | Throttling |
| 5 | How Common is Information Control? | 2.4 | Transparency |
| 6 | Measuring Censorship | 2.5-2.6 | Measurement |
| Attacks on Availability | |||
| 7 | Denial of Service Attacks | 3.1-3.3 | Galileo |
| 8 | Reflection and Amplification | 3.4 | Reflection |
| Attacks on Attention | |||
| 9 | Content Moderation | 4 | Moderation |
| 10 | Personalization and Filter Bubbles | 5.1-5.2 | Automation |
| 11 | Flooding and Propaganda | 5.3-5.4 | Bubbles |
| 12 | Disinformation | 5.5 | Disinformation |
| Law and Policy | |||
| 13 | Copyright, etc. | 6.1 | Copyright |
| 14 | Net Neutrality and Prioritization | 6.2 | Prioritization |
| 15 | Zero Rating | 6.3 | Zero Rating |
| Defenses | |||
| 16 | VPNs and Tor | 7.1-7.3 | Tor |
| 17 | Other Circumvention | 7.4 | |
| 18 | AI and Censorship | LLM |