Freenet

Freenet is a decentralized (hosted on many machines) network., It is censorship-resistant, which means it is not easy for anyone other than authors to remove content. The data is stored on many machines. Freenet was made by Ian Clarke. Freenet has a goal to provide freedom of speech and Freedom of information through a peer-to-peer network with protection of user's identity. Freenet works by putting together the volunteer bandwidth and storage space of member machines to allow users to anonymously publish (place or upload) or retrieve (get or download) different kinds of information. From a user's perspective, it can be thought of as simply a large storage device.

Freenet

FProxy index page (Freenet 0.7.5)
Developer(s)	[1]
Initial release	March 2000; 24 years ago (2000-03)
Stable release	0.7.5 (Build 1492) (October 28, 2021; 3 years ago (2021-10-28)[2]) [±]
Repository	github.com/hyphanet/fred
Written in	Java
Operating system	Cross-platform: Unix-like (Android, Linux, BSD, macOS), Microsoft Windows
Platform	Java
Available in	English, French, Italian, German, Dutch, Spanish, Portuguese, Swedish, Norwegian, Chinese[3]
Type	Anonymity application, peer-to-peer, friend-to-friend, overlay network, mix network, distributed data store
License	GNU General Public License
Website	freenetproject.org

Freenet has been under continuous development since 2000; a version 1.0 has not yet been released but current builds are usable. The project has already seen a ground-up rewrite (redoing of programming) for version 0.7.^[4] Freenet is free software.

History

Freenet was originally conceived and created by Ian Clarke in 2000 while he was a computer science student at the University of Edinburgh. Clarke’s goal was to design a platform that would allow individuals to share information freely, without fear of government or corporate interference, and to ensure that users could access content without revealing their identities.^[5]

The idea for Freenet was heavily influenced by concerns about internet censorship and the erosion of privacy in the online world. Clarke wanted to create a system that would operate outside of the reach of censorship laws, government surveillance, and other traditional threats to digital privacy.

Freenet's development began in 2000, and its first major public release occurred in 2001. Over the years, Freenet has undergone several major updates and revisions, with improvements made to its network protocols, performance, and anonymity features. The platform gained early attention from the digital rights and privacy advocacy communities for its potential to provide an uncensored and anonymous alternative to traditional online services.

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Key Features

• Anonymity: One of the central principles of Freenet is protecting users' privacy. Freenet uses a combination of routing and encryption techniques to ensure that users can interact with the network without revealing their identity or location.
• Decentralization: Freenet operates in a completely decentralized manner, meaning there is no central server or authority controlling the network. Each user contributes to the network by hosting data on their machine, ensuring that information is distributed across many nodes. This makes the network more resilient to censorship and attacks.
• Data Storage and File Sharing: Freenet allows users to share and store files in a secure and anonymous manner. Files are stored in a distributed way, and content is encrypted and spread across the network. This decentralization prevents any single entity from controlling the data and ensures privacy.
• Darknet and OpenNet Modes: Freenet can be used in two different modes: Darknet and OpenNet.
  • Darknet Mode: In this mode, users connect only to a specific set of trusted peers (friends or known nodes) to protect their anonymity and privacy.
  • OpenNet Mode: In this mode, users connect to the broader Freenet network, increasing access to more content but potentially compromising some level of anonymity.
• Censorship Resistance: One of Freenet’s key selling points is its ability to resist censorship. Since data is distributed across a decentralized network and encrypted, it is difficult for authorities or corporations to block or filter content. This makes Freenet an ideal platform for whistleblowers, activists, and journalists in repressive regimes.
• Freenet Websites: Freenet supports the creation and hosting of websites, known as Freenet sites, which can be accessed only through the Freenet network. These websites are also stored and served by peers in a distributed manner, ensuring that they are not easily taken down.

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Technical Aspects

Freenet relies on a combination of cryptographic techniques, such as public-key encryption and routing protocols, to protect user identities and ensure the security of the network. It uses a distributed hash table (DHT) to store files and data on the network, where each node contributes to the storage of information.

The routing protocol in Freenet allows for anonymous communication between nodes. When a user requests a file or webpage, the request is passed through multiple nodes in the network, and each node only knows about the next hop in the path, not the origin or destination of the request. This layered, onion-like routing ensures that the data requester's identity is obscured.

Freenet’s storage system is also designed to resist attempts at censorship. Files are distributed and replicated across multiple nodes, making it difficult for any entity to take down or block specific content.

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Applications and Use Cases

Freenet has been used for a variety of applications, including:

• Whistleblowing and Journalism: Freenet has been used by journalists and whistleblowers to share sensitive information anonymously and securely, especially in authoritarian regimes where free speech is restricted.
• Human Rights Activism: Activists in repressive countries use Freenet to bypass government censorship, enabling them to communicate freely and access information that would otherwise be unavailable.
• File Sharing: Freenet allows for anonymous file sharing, particularly for content that might be censored or blocked on more traditional platforms.
• Political and Social Expression: Freenet is an ideal platform for those seeking to express controversial political opinions or challenge authority, as the network is designed to resist censorship.

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Security and Criticism

While Freenet provides a high level of privacy and security for its users, it is not immune to criticism and vulnerabilities. Some of the common concerns include:

• Speed: Due to its decentralized and encrypted nature, Freenet can be slower than traditional internet protocols. The need to route data through multiple nodes can result in high latency and slower download/upload speeds.
• Storage Costs: Since Freenet operates by having users store data on their own devices, it can lead to significant storage requirements for those who contribute to the network, particularly if the data stored becomes widely distributed.
• Use for Illegal Content: Like other anonymous networks, Freenet has been criticized for enabling the distribution of illegal content, including pirated media and illicit materials. While Freenet itself is not inherently illegal, the anonymity it provides can be exploited by individuals for unlawful purposes.
• Lack of Widespread Adoption: Despite its innovative features, Freenet has not seen widespread adoption. Its relatively complex setup process, coupled with the lack of mainstream applications, has hindered its growth compared to other privacy-focused platforms like Tor.

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Future of Freenet

Freenet continues to evolve as developers work on improving its scalability, security, and ease of use. The project remains an important tool for those concerned with online privacy and freedom of speech. As internet censorship and surveillance become more pervasive, Freenet may become increasingly relevant in protecting individuals’ right to freely access and share information online.

Related pages

• Anonymous P2P
• Crypto-anarchism
• Cypherpunk
• distributed file system
• Entropy (anonymous data store)
• Freedom of information
• Friend-to-friend
• GNUnet
• I2P
• Osiris sps
• Tor (anonymity network)
• Share - the successor to Winny
• Perfect Dark - the successor to Share; it employs many of Freenet's principles.

References

1. "People". Freenet: The Free Network official website. 22 September 2008. Archived from the original on 21 September 2013. Retrieved 31 May 2014.
2. "Releases · freenet/fred". github.com. Retrieved 2021-09-20.
3. Language specific versions of Freenet, GitHub: Freenet.
4. "Freenet News". Archived from the original on 2009-04-26. Retrieved 2009-08-02.
5. "What Is Freenet? How Safe Is It? 2024". 2024-03-31. Retrieved 2024-11-08.