We are researchers who have previously worked on Censored Planet and VPNalyzer. Our current focus is on VPN and circumvention tool providers with users in censored regions like China, Iran, and Russia. We aim to understand the challenges they face in providing internet access to this group and gather information to help overcome these barriers.
Currently, we are looking to meet with distributors and developers of circumvention tools, especially those who have been working in the arms race between censors and developers distributing circumvention tools.
If you are a circumvention tool developer/distributor interested in being interviewed, please reach out to us at: circumventionresearch@umich.edu. Interviews are 30-45 minutes and consist of an anonymous, open-ended discussion on your experience working in the circumvention tool industry. We can facilitate video interviews on platforms of choice (such as Google Meet or Jitsi), and if needed we can accommodate asynchronous, text-based interviews. We will be anonymizing all the interviews while reporting.