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Censors Overlook Unencrypted HTTP/2 Traffic, Raising Privacy Concerns (2024)

In 2024, internet censorship agencies discovered they were largely ineffective in monitoring and blocking unencrypted HTTP/2 traffic. Although web censorship is a common tool used by governments worldwide, the unique characteristics of the HTTP/2 protocol have posed a significant challenge to these efforts. The core issue lies in the design of HTTP/2, which prioritizes efficient and speedy data transmission. One of its key features is multiplexing, allowing multiple requests to be sent simultaneously over a single connection, significantly reducing page load times. However, this same multiplexing capability, along with header compression, makes it difficult for censors to identify and intercept unencrypted HTTP/2 streams. Traditional censorship tools have proven effective in handling single HTTP requests, but they struggle with the complexity and efficiency of HTTP/2’s multiplexing and header compression techniques. This revelation has sparked extensive discussions within the tech community. Many experts have noted that while unencrypted traffic remains a security risk, this feature of HTTP/2 offers enhanced privacy protection, particularly in countries with strict review policies. Simultaneously, censorship agencies are actively seeking new methods to overcome this challenge, but they have yet to make significant progress. In practice, unencrypted HTTP/2 traffic continues to be used for various purposes to optimize transmission efficiency. Despite the widespread adoption of HTTPS as the industry standard, certain applications still prefer unencrypted HTTP/2 due to its real-time and low-latency capabilities. For instance, some streaming services and online games rely on this unencrypted protocol to ensure a smoother user experience. Nonetheless, this phenomenon highlights the limitations of internet censorship. The tension between web freedom and technological advancements remains a delicate balance. The emergence of unencrypted HTTP/2 traffic has added another dimension to the debate against censorship. The tech community is actively exploring how to strike a balance that ensures security and privacy while still meeting the demands for high-efficiency data transmission. In summary, unencrypted HTTP/2 traffic presents a significant challenge for internet censorship in 2024. This new technological feature not only complicates the work of censorship agencies but also offers new opportunities for enhancing user privacy and promoting web freedom. The development and application of this protocol will continue to draw substantial attention in the coming years.

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Censors Overlook Unencrypted HTTP/2 Traffic, Raising Privacy Concerns (2024) | Trending Stories | HyperAI