I just watched an informative talk from 36C3 by Julian Oliver:
 https://media.ccc.de/v/36c3-11008-server_infrastructure_for_global_rebellion

At around minute 28 he begins talking about the specific server software, 
datacenter hosting, and other aspects of their operational security 
implementation. This description goes to around minute 44, and then there is 
some Q&A that is also quite informative.

Nobody asked him why they didn't use TOR -- presumably it wasn't even a 
contender. For sysadmin activity they use VPNs to countries with strict data 
protection laws (Switzerland and Iceland are mentioned). Data partitions are 
encrypted, and they have various contingency plans in the event a server is 
seized. 

At around minute 34, there is a list of the different software choices they 
made to support Extinction Rebellion. They chose alternatives to Slack, Google, 
Mailchimp, Zoom, etc. Some were found to be better than the better-known 
alternatives, and some were worse, for performance, scalability and usability. 
He mentioned that modern users are looking for something like a Google-based 
single sign-on, which is anathema to the anti-surveillance infrastructure they 
are focusing on.

The software and configuration choices are today's best-of-breed for making 
surveillance and seizure more difficult. This naturally includes not utilizing 
commercial solutions, and also naturally includes self-hosting the 
infrastructure.


ER is a global movement that is highly decentralized and, according to the 
first 28 minutes of the talk, is having an impact. This is primarily through 
non-violent actions. They mainly seek progress on combating climate change. 
https://rebellion.global or https://organize.earth for more info.





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