¶ Let's first look at a regular VPN.
¶ Regular WireGuard
¶ Pro
The advantage of regular WireGuard is that your whole system's traffic is encrypted, so the ISP can't see what websites you visit.
¶ Con
The disadvantage of just regular WireGuard is that to connect or disconnect, it requires temporary root access to privileged protected folders and your real networking interfaces. If hacked, these files and interfaces have direct and real access to your real underlying networking information.
Another disadvantage is that you're tunneling through just one IP address at a time.
¶ Socks5 Proxy
Socks5 Proxies simply forward the traffic to make requests from a new destination WITHOUT encryption.
¶ No Sudo
A huge advantage of Proxies is that they don't require sudo. They can just work in just the browser.
¶ Many at once
You can have many proxies at the same time.
¶ What is WireProxy?
¶ WireProxy is software to use WireGuard through a Proxy.
WireProxy does this WITHOUT having root access or direct access to networking interfaces.
Simplified Privacy's "browser-only WireGuard" utilizes WireProxy and artificial network config files, to create sessions that are encrypted, isolated, and disposable (no privileges).
¶ How? With Bubblewrap
The key to this is our isolation of artificial networking configuration files, using Bubblewrap.
Bubblewrap is a sandboxing tool. Both Tor Browser and Flatpak also use this, but Tor Browser uses it just for security. While as we ALSO use it to literally change the application's behavior by isolating artificial networking configuration files.
¶ Let's Break it Down:
- A "Local Proxy" is normally system-wide networking
¶ We make it so if:
- A Browser (or any app) wants the internet,
¶ Then:
- It has to run on the local proxy,
¶ And Because:
- We create these new artificial configuration files,
¶ Then it means:
- Browsers perceive this isolated internal proxy as running a system-wide proxy,
¶ And:
- Forces traffic through the fake shit
¶ Which:
- When combined with a 2nd Graphical Display, to hide your real screen dimensions
¶ Will:
- Urinate on Big Tech Web apps, because they know even less than Browsers
¶ PortMaster's Safing
After we began our project, we found out about a competitor called Portmaster, which also allows for multiple IP addresses at the same time. But they have a very different architecture.
¶ Privileged Kernel
Portmaster's approach allows for splitting up traffic into multiple IP addresses at the same time, but it forces the user to allow the software to operate permanently in privileged spaces interacting directly with the kernel (such as nfqueue).
Unlike regular WireGuard which only requires temporary sudo access to modify certain folders, Portmaster requires persistent invasive access to the most protected kernel areas. This is like a digital rectal exam.
¶ Government looting
PortMaster is sponsored by the European Union's government, which is a conflict of interest to protect you from that same government. The bulk of their budget is FFG, which is owned by the Austria government.
¶ Simplified Privacy
In sharp contrast, although Simplified Privacy operates without bank accounts, a microscopic cryptocurrency budget, and is heavily censored by Google search. With unmatched passion, our tech stack will:
a) Encrypt your traffic, although it's a light-weight proxy
b) Insulate your real network interfaces from the session
c) Websites perceive our system as your real screen dimensions and timezone
d) Reduce Trust in websites
e) Reduce Trust in us
f) Keep these isolated sessions lean and faster than virtual machines
Against all odds, our underdog low-budget app faces against Oppressive Big Tech Giants. It's like a twist on Muhammad Ali's famous quote: "Float like a Proxy Butterfly, Sting like a Virtual-Machine Bee."
Next, check our article on: how we configure the browsers.