Abstract:
WebRTC is a protocol suite for real-time applications deployed in browsers. Various real-time applications use WebRTC, including video conferencing systems and censorship circumvention systems. This makes WebRTC a target for censorship. While instances of WebRTC censorship have been reported, there is a lack of structured analyses and tools to perform such analyses. This thesis explores the current state of censorship of WebRTC in the UAE by testing the general functionality of common video conferencing systems using a VPN setup. The results show minor censoring attempts against WebRTC, while the systems’ overall functionality was given. In addition, we provide insights on how the WebRTC usage differs among video conferencing systems. To allow for a structured analysis of all WebRTC protocols, we create and apply generic testing scripts for each, which results underline our findings regarding the censorship of WebRTC.