# Hyphanet

> peer-to-peer Internet platform for censorship-resistant communication

**Wikidata**: [Q540](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q540)  
**Wikipedia**: [English](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hyphanet)  
**Source**: https://4ort.xyz/entity/hyphanet

## Summary
Hyphanet is a peer-to-peer Internet platform designed for censorship-resistant communication. It functions as a decentralized, distributed network that allows users to anonymously share, store, and retrieve information. The platform is built to circumvent internet censorship and provide internet anonymity for its users.

## Key Facts
- **Inception Date:** July 1999
- **Creator:** Ian Clarke
- **Primary Use:** Anonymous peer-to-peer communication, internet censorship circumvention, and anonymous file sharing and storage.
- **Programming Language:** Written in Java and runs on the Java virtual machine.
- **License:** Free and open-source software, primarily under the GNU General Public License.
- **Supported Operating Systems:** Microsoft Windows, macOS, and other systems that support Java.
- **Award:** Received the SUMA Award in 2014.
- **Official Website:** https://www.hyphanet.org/

## FAQs
### Q: Who created Hyphanet?
A: Hyphanet was originally created by Ian Clarke in 1999. It is currently maintained and developed by programmers including Florent Daigniere and Steve Dougherty.

### Q: What is Hyphanet used for?
A: Hyphanet is used for anonymous and censorship-resistant communication. It allows users to publish, store, and retrieve files, create websites, and participate in discussion forums without revealing their identity or location.

### Q: Is Hyphanet free to use?
A: Yes, Hyphanet is free and open-source software. It is distributed under several licenses, including the GNU General Public License, MIT License, and Apache Software License 2.0.

### Q: What systems can run Hyphanet?
A: Hyphanet is written in Java and is designed to run on the Java virtual machine. It officially supports operating systems including Microsoft Windows and macOS.

## Why It Matters
Hyphanet's significance lies in its long-standing commitment to providing a platform for free expression and information access, resistant to censorship and surveillance. As a decentralized network, it has no central point of control or failure, making it difficult for any single entity to shut down or control the flow of information. This architecture is crucial for individuals living under restrictive regimes, journalists, and activists who need to communicate and share information without fear of reprisal.

By distributing encrypted data across a network of volunteer computers, Hyphanet ensures that information remains available even if parts of the network are taken offline. It provides a high degree of anonymity for both publishers and consumers of content, protecting their identities. In an era of increasing internet censorship and monitoring, Hyphanet provides a vital tool for maintaining privacy and the fundamental right to free speech online. Its development since 1999 makes it one of the pioneering and most resilient projects in the field of anonymous P2P networking.

## Notable For
- **Censorship Resistance:** The core architecture is specifically designed to resist censorship by distributing encrypted data across a decentralized network with no central servers.
- **Anonymity:** It provides strong anonymity for users who publish, request, or store content, separating the user from the data they interact with.
- **Decentralized Data Storage:** Hyphanet functions as a distributed, peer-to-peer filestore. Content is stored across the network's participating nodes, ensuring data persistence and availability.
- **Friend-to-Friend (F2F) Mode:** The platform supports a "friend-to-friend" operational mode, which allows users to build a private, darknet-style network by connecting exclusively to trusted peers.
- **Longevity:** Founded in July 1999 (as Freenet), it is one of the oldest and most continuously developed anonymous P2P networks.

## Body
### ### Overview and Purpose
Hyphanet is a free, open-source peer-to-peer software platform that enables censorship-resistant and anonymous communication. It is classified as an overlay network, a distributed social network, and a peer-to-peer file-sharing application. Its primary uses include:
- Internet censorship circumvention
- Internet anonymity
- Anonymous P2P file sharing
- Distributed data storing
- Friend-to-friend networking

### ### History and Development
The project was initiated by Ian Clarke, with its inception in July 1999 and its first public presentation on July 25, 2000. The software has been in continuous development since. Key developers and maintainers include Florent Daigniere, Steve Dougherty, and Arne Babenhauserheide. In 2014, the project received the SUMA Award for its contributions to digital freedom. The official website domain `hyphanet.org` was launched on June 26, 2023.

### ### Technical Specifications
- **Programming Language:** The core software is written in **Java**.
- **Platform:** It runs on the **Java virtual machine**.
- **Operating Systems:** It is compatible with **Microsoft Windows** and **macOS**, among other systems that support Java.
- **License:** The source code is available under multiple open-source licenses, including the **GNU General Public License**, **MIT License**, **2-clause BSD License**, and **Apache Software License 2.0**.

### ### Select Version History
- **Version 0.3.3:** Released on October 13, 2000.
- **Version 0.5.0:** Released on October 27, 2002.
- **Version 0.7.0:** Released on May 8, 2008.
- **Version 0.7.5 build 1476:** Stable version released on March 1, 2017.
- **Version 0.7.5 build 1484:** Stable version released on March 22, 2019.

## Schema Markup
```json
{
  "@context": "https://schema.org",
  "@type": "SoftwareApplication",
  "name": "Hyphanet",
  "description": "A peer-to-peer Internet platform for censorship-resistant communication and anonymous file sharing.",
  "url": "https://www.hyphanet.org/",
  "sameAs": [
    "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hyphanet"
  ],
  "applicationCategory": "Communication",
  "applicationSubCategory": "Peer-to-peer software",
  "softwareVersion": "0.7.5 build 1484",
  "operatingSystem": [
    "Microsoft Windows",
    "macOS"
  ],
  "programmingLanguage": {
    "@type": "ComputerLanguage",
    "name": "Java"
  },
  "license": "https://spdx.org/licenses/GPL-2.0-only.html",
  "dateCreated": "1999-07",
  "creator": {
    "@type": "Person",
    "name": "Ian Clarke"
  },
  "award": "SUMA Award"
}

## References

1. [Source](https://www.hyphanet.org/ru/pages/about.html)
2. [SUMA Award für das Freenet Project. 2015](https://www.heise.de/newsticker/meldung/SUMA-Award-fuer-das-Freenet-Project-2548577.html)
3. [Receiving Award Speech: Verleihung des Suma-Award - SUMA-EV Kongress 2015](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dZpsBSPsHDI)
4. [About — Current Contributors](https://www.hyphanet.org/pages/about.html)
5. [The Freenet Project - /people](https://freenetproject.org/people.html)
6. [Source](https://github.com/hyphanet/fred/commits/next?author=nextgens)
7. [Source](https://github.com/hyphanet/fred/commits/next?author=Thynix)
8. [Source](https://github.com/hyphanet/fred/commits/next?author=ArneBab)
9. [The freenet Open Source Project on Open Hub: Languages Page. Open Hub](https://www.openhub.net/p/freenet/analyses/latest/languages_summary)
10. [Source](https://www.hyphanet.org/pages/download.html)
11. [build01476: 2017-03-01. 2017](https://github.com/hyphanet/fred/releases/tag/build01476)
12. [News](https://freenetproject.org/news.html)
13. [build01473: 2016-05-21. 2016](https://github.com/hyphanet/fred/releases/tag/build01473)
14. [Release 0.7.5. 2018](https://github.com/hyphanet/fred/releases/tag/build01481)
15. [build01484: 2019-03-21. 2019](https://github.com/hyphanet/fred/releases/tag/build01484)
16. [Source](https://web.archive.org/web/200009/freenetproject.org/)
17. [Source](https://web.archive.org/web/sourceforge.net/projects/freenet/files/freenet/)
18. [Source](https://web.archive.org/web/2005/sourceforge.net/project/showfiles.php?group_id=978)
19. [build01485: 2020-01-26. 2020](https://github.com/hyphanet/fred/releases/tag/build01485)
20. [build01489: 2020-12-15. 2020](https://github.com/hyphanet/fred/releases/tag/build01489)
21. [build01490: 2021-03-14. 2021](https://github.com/hyphanet/fred/releases/tag/build01490)
22. [2021](https://github.com/freenet/fred/releases/tag/build01491)
23. [build01491: 2021-05-02. 2021](https://github.com/hyphanet/fred/releases/tag/build01491)
24. [Freenet build 1492 released: video, diagnostics, pitch black, plugins. 2021](https://freenetproject.org/freenet-build-1492-released-video-diagnostics-pitch-black-plugins.html)
25. [Freenet build 1492: video, diagnostics, pitch black mitigation, and plugin updates. 2021](https://github.com/hyphanet/fred/releases/tag/build01492)
26. [2022](https://freenetproject.org/freenet-build-1493-initial-user-experience-sneakernet-performance.html)
27. [2022](https://github.com/hyphanet/fred/releases/tag/build01493)
28. [2022](https://freenetproject.org/freenet-build-1494-streaming-config-security-windows-debian.html)
29. [2022](https://github.com/hyphanet/fred/releases/tag/build01494)
30. [Source](https://freenetproject.org/freenet-build-1495-new-user-experience-and-performance.html)
31. [2022](https://github.com/hyphanet/fred/releases/tag/build01495)
32. [Freenet build 1496: fix keepalive, translations, windows. 2023](https://freenetproject.org/freenet-build-1496-fix-keepalive-translations-windows.html)
33. [2023](https://github.com/hyphanet/fred/releases/tag/build01496)
34. [Freenet build 1497: fix severe path folding vulnerability. 2023](https://www.hyphanet.org/freenet-build-1497-fix-severe-path-folding-vulnerability.html)
35. [2023](https://github.com/hyphanet/fred/releases/tag/build01497)
36. [2023](https://github.com/hyphanet/fred/releases/tag/build01498-pre1)
37. [Freenet / Hyphanet build 1498: Debian Package, Optimized Networking Layer, Richer Websites, UX, Safety. 2024](https://www.hyphanet.org/freenet-hyphanet-build-1498-debian-package-optimized-networking-layer-richer-websites-ux-safety.html)
38. [Source](https://www.hyphanet.org/freenet-hyphanet-build-1499-privacy-networking-css-ux-cleanups.html)
39. [Freenet / Hyphanet build 1500: hotfixes and polish](https://www.hyphanet.org/freenet-hyphanet-build-1500-hotfixes-and-polish.html)
40. [Source](https://github.com/hyphanet/fred/releases/tag/build01501)
41. [Release build01503: 2025-07-06 · hyphanet/fred · GitHub](https://github.com/hyphanet/fred/releases/tag/build01503)
42. [Freenet / Hyphanet 0.7.5 build 1504](https://github.com/hyphanet/fred/releases/tag/build01504)
43. [Freenet / Hyphanet 0.7.5 build 1505 Latest](https://github.com/hyphanet/fred/releases/tag/build01505)
44. [Freenet / Hyphanet 0.7.5 build 1506](https://github.com/hyphanet/fred/releases/tag/build01505)
45. [Freenet / Hyphanet 0.7.5 build 1504 1505 1506: fix vulnerability, optimize routing, cleanups, and upkeep](https://www.hyphanet.org/freenet-hyphanet-075-build-1504-1505-1506-fix-vulnerability-optimize-routing-cleanups-and-upkeep.html)
46. [Source](https://www.hyphanet.org/)
47. [Source](https://web.archive.org/web/20230530233824/https://freenetproject.org/pages/about.html)
48. [Workshop on Design Issues in Anonymity and Unobservability](https://petsymposium.org/2000/wsprogram.html)
49. Freebase Data Dumps. 2013
50. [Source](https://api.github.com/repos/hyphanet/fred)