File access restrictions for users in China

The "Great Firewall of China" may prevent local users from accessing (uploading or downloading) files in SpeakUp. This applies to both reporters and case managers.

Context:

SpeakUp files are normally stored in an AWS S3 bucket. This is a common container in Amazon Web Services (AWS) that stores data as objects in the cloud. The "Great Firewall of China" may prevent local users from accessing this Amazon service.

We have developed a technical solution to circumvent this access block, and we offer it to you free of charge.

How does it work?

When this feature is activated for your system, all files are channelled through an alternative server called AWS EC2. The files are still stored in the S3 bucket; they are simply uploaded and downloaded through the EC2 instance. Both routes comply with our security standards and are covered by our assurances.

SpeakUp cannot guarantee that the workaround will always work, as it depends on unpredictable blocking behaviour by the Chinese government, which is outside SpeakUp's control.