Relakks & State of Global Internet Censorship

If you're living in one of the 25 countries that practice "state-mandated net filtering" and find yourself not able to access Skype or Google Maps, you're in luck. Relakks, a Swedish start-up which (as reported in International Herald Tribune recently) prides itself on being endorsed by the Pirate Party of Sweden, allows you not only to surf the Internet but also use clients and applications anonymously on the Internet.

Internet is supposed to foster open communication and better disperse knowledge around the world. The sad fact, however, is that more governments are aiming to control the free flow of information on the Internet, and some are trying to do it secretly. A recent study by the OpenNet Initiative found that the number of states practicing various ways of Internet filtering jumped from a handful to 25 within five years. A BBC article last week covered the study and posted a full list of those 25 countries.

Given the increasing interest of governments in Internet censorship, it's refreshing to see innovative start-ups like Relakks enable people to surf the Internet anonymously regardless of the country of their ISP. While such technology can be used for legal and illegal purposes, it is a strong reminder that governments should not assume that they can control the Internet.