Fight Against Fascism and Tyranny With These Free Software Tools - and Support Them With Kivach

“Fascism: a far-right, authoritarian, and ultranationalist political ideology and movement, characterized by a dictatorial leader, centralized autocracy, militarism, forcible suppression of opposition, belief in a natural social hierarchy, subordination of individual interests for the perceived good of the nation or race, and strong regimentation of society and the economy.” [Wikipedia]

“Tyranny: cruel and oppressive government or rule. ‘Refugees fleeing tyranny and oppression’.” [Oxford Dictionaries]

At this point in history, we only have to look around to discover the embodiment of these concepts in more than a few places, in all its disgusting splendor. In the middle of it, software, all kinds of software, really, has been used for evil, but also for good. We can fight back (with something more than ranting on social media), and it’s time to pick our team and resources. Those resources, of course, can include software specially designed to preserve our rights.

We’ll explore here some open-source and free software tools available for anyone to use against fascist and tyrannical governments all around the world. They work to protect your identity, your files, your communications, your connections, and more, so you can avoid censorship, surveillance, and oppression online. You’d be able to organize your community to defend yourselves and engage in activism if you wish.

In the end, if you find them useful, you can support them with another useful software tool: Kivach. This open platform lets any open-source project on GitHub receive decentralized cryptocurrencies for funding, without major setups or requirements. Let’s start!

Invisible Internet Project (I2P)

Originally created by Lance James in 2002, the Invisible Internet Project (I2P) has grown in the hands of a whole team of dedicated open-source developers. Its primary goal is to create an anonymous network layer that enables censorship-resistant, peer-to-peer (P2P) communication. By encrypting user traffic and routing it through a global network of volunteer-run computers, I2P ensures that both the sender’s and receiver’s identities remain concealed, promoting secure and private interactions online.

I2P offers a range of features designed to enhance user privacy. It supports various applications, including anonymous web hosting (known as “eepsites”), email, instant messaging, and file sharing. The network employs end-to-end encryption and utilizes unidirectional tunnels (encrypted pathways) for data transmission, making it challenging for third parties to trace communications. Additionally, I2P uses a distributed network database based on the Kademlia algorithm, eliminating central points of failure and enhancing the network’s resilience.

Unlike similar projects, like Tor, I2P doesn’t have a proper organizational structure to receive donations, but that doesn’t mean they don’t appreciate support from its community. Indeed, they entirely rely on global volunteers and urge contributors to fund secondary applications or hire others to work on I2P. You can support their developers on GitHub, directly donating to them via Kivach.

Briar

This is a private messaging application introduced in 2018 by Michael Rogers. It’s tailored for activists, journalists, and individuals seeking a secure and dependable communication method. Unlike conventional messaging platforms that depend on central servers, Briar facilitates direct device-to-device synchronization, ensuring that conversations remain confidential and resistant to censorship.

One of Briar’s standout features is its adaptability in various connectivity scenarios. When Internet access is available, it utilizes the Tor network to safeguard users’ identities and communications. In situations where the Internet is inaccessible, Briar can synchronize messages via Bluetooth or Wi-Fi, ensuring uninterrupted information flow during crises. All communications are protected with end-to-end encryption, and data is securely stored on users’ devices, eliminating reliance on cloud services.

The development of this software has been supported by various organizations dedicated to Internet freedom and open-source initiatives. Notable contributors include the Small Media Foundation, the Open Internet Tools Project, the Open Technology Fund, the Next Generation Internet program, and the ISC Project. They also accept donations in cryptocurrency, and you can send them some coins via Kivach.

SecureDrop

At some point between 2010 and 2011, Aaron Swartz, a known hacktivist, decided to download a large number of academic papers from the digital library JSTOR using MIT’s network, allegedly without permission. He intended to make them freely available but was charged with computer fraud and unauthorized access, even threatened with 35 years in prison for it. He refused a plea bargain (admission of being guilty) for a sentence of six months and took his own life in January 2013. That’s the American justice system in action.

Before his tragic death, along with Kevin Poulsen and James Dolan, he was developing DeadDrop: a free software designed for secure communications between journalists and their most vulnerable sources (whistleblowers). Swartz’s legacy was taken over by The Freedom of the Press Foundation, renamed to SecureDrop, and released in October 2013.

Now, it’s been used by very prominent media, including The Guardian, Forbes, The Washington Post, Associated Press, The New York Times, and Bloomberg. Anyone, everywhere, can use SecureDrop to share confidential, valuable information and evidence with the journalists of any of these newspapers, without fear of being fired, arrested, or even killed for it.

This software uses Tor for anonymity, encrypts submissions, lessens metadata, and ensures no direct contact between sources and reporters, minimizing surveillance risks and protecting confidentiality. Its team accepts contributions in the form of code and translations and also accepts donations with credit cards and PayPal through the foundation. To send them cryptocurrencies, you can find them on Kivach as freedomofpress/securedrop.

InterPlanetary File System (IPFS)

IPFS, short for InterPlanetary File System, is a decentralized protocol designed to store and share files across a distributed network. It was created by Juan Benet and launched in February 2015. Unlike traditional web protocols that rely on centralized servers, IPFS uses a P2P system where data is identified by its content rather than its location. This approach makes file storage and retrieval more efficient, resilient, and resistant to failures or censorship.

At its core, IPFS operates using content-addressing and a distributed hash table (DHT). Each file is assigned a unique cryptographic hash, ensuring that data remains unchanged and verifiable. When a file is requested, nodes in the network search for its hash rather than a specific server, enabling efficient distribution similar to BitTorrent. Being open-source, the project has evolved into numerous implementations and has enabled the creation of independent applications as well.

So far, IPFS has played a key role in bypassing online censorship, including hosting a mirror of Wikipedia during Turkey's ban and preserving the Tornado Cash website after U.S. sanctions. The ecosystem is supported by Protocol Labs, which funds core development, while independent teams contribute to alternative implementations. Filecoin, a blockchain-based storage network, also incentivizes IPFS adoption by rewarding users for hosting data. Beyond them, a wide variety of IPFS implementations and apps can be found on GitHub, and you can support their developers via Kivach. You’ll just need to paste their repositories on the donation website.

OpenSnitch

OpenSnitch is a firewall application specifically designed for Linux systems, developed as an open-source alternative to macOS’s Little Snitch. It was created around 2017 by Simone Margaritelli (evilsocket) and is currently maintained by Gustavo Iñiguez Goya. Its main purpose is to monitor and control Internet access at the application level, allowing users to decide which programs can connect online. This is particularly useful for detecting software that might be transmitting data without the user’s knowledge.

The software works by intercepting outgoing connections from installed applications and prompting users to approve or deny them. OpenSnitch offers fine-grained control by letting users create specific rules, such as blocking a single request, an entire domain, or all connections from a particular app. It stores rules in easily editable JSON files and features a graphical interface for real-time monitoring. The firewall also supports SIEM (Security Information and Event Management) tools, making it suitable for both personal and enterprise security.

OpenSnitch can be a powerful tool against government surveillance or spyware, as it allows users to identify and block unauthorized data transmissions. It offers a layer of protection by ensuring that no application sends data without explicit permission. As free software, it’s primarily funded through community donations, which can be made via the project’s GitHub page. Users can also contribute by donating crypto via Kivach.

Special Mentions

Freedom and privacy tools are many, and we’ve already mentioned several of them in previous episodes of our Kivach series. These open-source, free software projects can also work to fight against fascism and tyranny:

• Tor – Anonymizes internet traffic by routing it through multiple servers.
• Whonix – A privacy-focused OS that routes all traffic through Tor.
• Signal – A secure messaging app with end-to-end encryption.
• GrapheneOS – A privacy-focused, hardened Android OS.
• Linux Kodachi – A secure Linux distribution with built-in anonymity tools.
• Berty – A decentralized, encrypted messaging app.
• Agorakit – A self-hosted collaboration tool for activists (communications and events).
• QubesOS – A security-focused OS that isolates apps in virtual machines.
• WireGuard – A fast, modern Virtual Privacy Network (VPN) protocol.
• Cryptomator – Encrypts cloud storage files for privacy.

All of them, of course, are available on GitHub and Kivach as well, if you want to support their developers.

Support Freedom With Kivach!

Kivach makes crypto donations to open-source projects easy. Just set up an Obyte wallet to manage tokens like USDC, ETH, BNB, or GBYTE, then find the GitHub project you want to support, go to the platform, paste the repo, and donate. The funds stay secure in an Obyte’s Autonomous Agent (AA) until the recipient claims them with their own Obyte wallet —which they'll need only after receiving the donation. You’ll have to tell them about it!

This open platform empowers developers and upholds freedom. By channeling contributions to innovative projects, Kivach helps counter censorship, fascism, and tyranny. Every donation builds a stronger, democratic digital space, supporting resistance against oppression while fostering an environment of open collaboration and positive change. And remember that the whole Obyte ecosystem is also there as another tool for freedom, fully decentralized and available for everyone.

Check out some previous lists to discover other useful software tools:

• 5 Open-Source Projects You Can Donate to via Kivach, Episode IV: Privacy Tools
• 5 Open-Source Tools You Can Donate to via Kivach, Episode VI: Decentralized Services
• 5 Cybersecurity Tools to Use for Free and Donate to Via Kivach
• 5 Open-Source Software for Global Teams To Donate via Kivach
• 5 Open-source and Free Operating Systems to Donate via Kivach
• Ditch the Phone Line and Try These 5 Free and Open-Source Platforms for Voice Calls Instead

Featured Vector Image by Freepik