In recent years, governments from various countries have been intensifying their efforts to enhance internet censorship, aiming to restrict citizens’ access to the open internet. However, the more restrictions they impose, the more ingenious methods citizens develop to bypass these blocks. There is a prevailing belief that governments may eventually succeed in completely disabling access to the open internet.
A team of cybersecurity researchers has proposed a novel method to combat this problem: the “Trojan horse” satellite. This satellite television channel, named EQSAT, is designed to transmit news and information in an uncensored manner. After successfully completing testing, EQSAT is now ready to be launched whenever the internet is shut down in any country.
The company behind EQSAT, Equalitie, has also developed a mobile browser called Ceno. This browser enables users to connect to the internet and access content through a peer-to-peer (P2P) connection. However, this method does have its weaknesses, particularly when faced with a total internet shutdown.
The EQSAT solution is based on steganography, a technique for hidden information transmission. The Equalitie team has leased space on commercial satellites and started broadcasting its television channel in Asia and Africa. Despite the presence of interference or colored stripes on the channel, one of the audio tracks actually contains a compressed file with hidden information when recorded onto a USB drive.
This method is considered secure, as blocking satellite signals is complex and often ineffective. However, Equalitie acknowledges that governments may eventually discover ways to counter these new tactics.