A Google update just created a big problem for anti-censorship tools
App developers won’t be able to use Google to get around internet censorship anymore. The Google App Engine is discontinuing a practice called domain-fronting, which let services use Google’s network to get around network blocks in countries like China and Iran.
A recent change in Google’s network architecture means the trick no longer works. First spotted by Tor developers on April 13th, the change has been rolling out across Google services and threatens to disrupt services for a number of anti-censorship tools, including Signal, GreatFire.org and Psiphon’s VPN services.
Reached by The Verge, Google said the changes were the result of a long-planned network update. “Domain...