Privacy tool for Iranians withdrawn amid security concerns
A heavily hyped software tool created to help Iranian citizens evade government surveillance online was abruptly pulled from the web following findings it was riddled with vulnerabilities that could expose users' identities.
Members of the Censorship Research Center said they were withdrawing the Haystack tool and asked that all remaining copies be destroyed. The move came after hacker Jacob Appelbaum called Haystack “the worst piece of software I have ever had the displeasure of ripping apart” and warned it could jeopardize the lives of Iranians who used it.
The project's lead developer said here he was resigning. Those remaining vowed to have the program reviewed by outside auditors and then released as an open-source package.
