Briar (software)
Briar is an open-source software mesh networking technology, intended to provide secure and resilient peer to peer communications with no centralized servers and minimal reliance on external infrastructure. Connections are made through bluetooth, WiFi, or over the internet via TOR and all private communication is end-to-end encrypted. Relevant content is stored in encrypted form on participating devices. Long term plans for the project "including blogging, crisis mapping and collaborative document editing".
The initial target audience for Briar includes "activists, journalists and civil society" with plans to make the system "simple enough to help anyone keep their data safe".[1] The ability to function as a mesh in the absence of internet infrastructure may also make the project valuable to disaster response and aid organisations, the developers are working with the Open Humanitarian Initiative and Taarifa.[2] Ultimately, the developers aim to create a system which is "as simple to use as WhatsApp, as secure as PGP, and that keeps working if somebody breaks the Internet".[2]
Briar's source code is published as free software and is distributed under the terms of the GPLv3 license.[3]