I know many people have been very concerned with the block on NSFW content from all categories, and have been concerned about the chance of the platform continuing to block other content.
I think Steemit are doing a great job, and I understand some of their position if they end up censoring content. Being a US business means they will quickly run into legal issues with the content on their site, and may have to do some censorship.
Of course thanks to the blockchain, it's never truly censored, and sites like UnderSteem can show it.
This is a follow up to my post from a few days ago, where I launced the first TOR RPC and SEED node for STEEM..
As people should know by now, I'm strongly concerned about privacy and freedom. In the past week:
- I set up a TOR node for the STEEM network (link above)
- raised almost $200 USD for RiseUP
- Set up a site for fully anonymous steem accounts
What is UnderSteem?
TL;DR
- Uncensored - UnderSteem promises to have no censorship, including on pornography and piracy
- Private - UnderSteem is only accessible over TOR. This means your IP address is never disclosed, so you're protected
- Secure - Because UnderSteem is over TOR, the server locations are unknown. This makes it much harder to be hacked, because the attackers do not know the IP address of the servers, and they're only able to access the website
- Open Source
UnderSteem is "Underground Steem". It is a fork of Steemit (not STEEM. It's on the same network), and is fully open source, available here. UnderSteem promises to avoid censorship on the client level, and operates it's servers within a safe jurisdiction, since just like steemit, it does not store any content at all, and cannot be held responsible for any illegal activity.
To allow the safest, most private experience, it's only available over TOR. I strongly recommend downloading TOR Browser - it's free, open source, and available on nearly every platform, even Android and iOS. (Don't worry, TOR is completely legal almost everywhere, including the US, practically every European country + the UK)
Once you have TOR browser, you can just enter the following URL into the address bar, and you'll be on UnderSteem:
usteempccoapgood.onion
If you just want to take a quick look without TOR, you can access the site through a gateway such as ONION.TO, however the site will not function fully through a gateway because of the JavaScript trying to communicate with my TOR node:
Outside of TOR: usteempccoapgood.onion.to
Want to remember this URL? Just split the words up!
usteem pc coap good
Do I need to sign up?
You don't need to. If you already have an account made on Steemit, or AnonSteem, you can log into the website with your username and password just like normal.
Is it legal to access this site and use TOR?
UnderSteem is not designed for illegal content any more than Steemit is, however the laws vary in every country.
UnderSteem believes that the content should be free for the person to decide if they should view it or not, rather than their governments laws.
While UnderSteem will avoid any form of censorship at all costs, there's nothing illegal about using TOR (in most countries), or UnderSteem unless you are purposely trying to access illegal content.
Try it out!
usteempccoapgood.onion
Outside of TOR: usteempccoapgood.onion.to
Frequently Asked Questions
Why can't I see the upvote button?
Your security settings on TOR browser are too high. On the "high" setting, SVGs are blocked, which means the upvote button and other icons can't work.
Click the TOR icon in the top left, and press "Privacy and Security Settings", and turn it down to at least Medium-High.
Why can't I log in?
You probably need to enable javascript. Click the NoScript icon in the top left and whitelist the site.
Why are other categories/tags broken?
You probably have Javascript disabled. Click the NoScript icon in the top left and whitelist the site.
Be aware that the clearnet gateway (onion.to or onion.cab) isn't fully functional because of the javascript used on UnderSteem. To get a proper experience on UnderSteem, download TOR
I don't trust UnderSteem with my password, can I still use this service some other way?
YES. You can use your posting key as your password. Go to your Steemit account, click on "Wallet", then "Permissions". Click "Show Private Key" on your posting key, and paste that into the password box of UnderSteem.
This will only give the site the ability to make posts/comments, and upvote. It will not be able to access your wallet, or change your keys/password.
Is there an NSFW filter?
NO. We do not approve of any of the filtering. If you want filtered content (or are in a family/work setting), continue to use Steemit.