In my chat with Serene, an internet freedom activist and former Google Ideas engineer, I ask: “Am I allowed to speak with you right now? Legally?”“We’re both in the U.S., so yes, I think we’re good,” she answers.
As one of the few tools for accessing blocked and censored information on the web, Serene’s Snowflake is widely used by citizens of oppressive regimes. It is primarily done using Tor, an open-source browser that enables secure, private, and anonymous internet browsing.
She is now unveiling Snowstorm, an upgraded version of Snowflake, which Serene claims will be faster, more generalized, and have more features. Snowstorm is fast enough to stream YouTube videos, something previous versions could not do.
The software has been rewritten and reimagined using Rust, and a system-wide client, which demonstrates the software is not Tor-based. As a result, users will have more choice and agency.
Furthermore, Snowstorm has established its own company that will maintain the code and support a full-time team of core developers.
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