“These are tools that allow citizens to get around content filters that exist in the countries that they live in,” Deibert said. “They would be distributed as an open source product for citizens to use worldwide.”

Deibert described one of these tools as a peer to peer network similar to software commonly used to download music. He said that this technology allows users in China to access blocked websites through peoples’ computers in other countries.

Both Palfrey and Deibert agreed that there may be cases where some censorship is necessary and desirable, but that it should always remain transparent.

“We do understand that there are pressures in certain cultures where it makes sense for governments to have control over content on the Web. I think the issue that we are most concerned about is the lack of transparency. If citizens can’t know what they don’t know, then that is much more troubling to us,” Palfrey said.

Deibert said he ultimately hopes people worldwide will become more aware of the degree of internet censoring, forcing the amount of filtering to be reduced.

“There is a lot more that goes on beneath the World Wide Web than the vast majority of users realize. When you open the lid on the internet, there is an enormous amount of checks and control that are put into place and some of them are secret,” Deibert said.

“We think of the internet as a global commons of information. If that is true then we are required as citizens worldwide to ensure that these filters are not arbitrary,” he said.