Original author(s) Operating system Website getlantern.org | Written in Go License Apache License 2.0 | |
Type Internet censorship circumvention | ||
Lantern is a free peer-to-peer internet censorship circumvention tool, used for casual web browsing. It provides a way to bypass state-sanctioned filtration through a network of trusted users, but it's not an anonymity tool like Tor. Using Lantern, users in countries having free internet access can share their bandwidth with those who are in countries where the network is partly blocked. Network connections will be dispersed between multiple computers running Lantern so it will not put undue stress on a single connection or computer.
Lantern's CEO and lead developer is Adam Fisk, a former lead engineer of LimeWire and LittleShoot.
In early versions, Lantern's framework requires the use of Google Talk for users to invite other trusted users from their Google Talk contacts. It's financed through US Department of State seed funding. These have raised some concerns about privacy of users. Though Fisk has said the State Department is "incredibly hands off" and never dictates how they should write Lantern, or how they should talk about it.
In early December 2013 Lantern had a surge of Chinese users and could reach from 200 users to 10,000 users in just two weeks. Soon after that, the network was almost blocked by Chinese government.
The 2.0 version was released in 2015, users not required to connect by invite.
The software is financed by US$2.2 million (HK$17.1 million) seed funding by the US State Department.