Will Scott

Will Scott is a researcher at the University of Michigan, focusing on internet censorship, decentralized systems, and privacy preservation. His work includes the Censored Planet project, analyzing network interference and CDN behavior, and studying community networks in Cuba and North Korea. He has presented at conferences like DEFCON, IMC, and USENIX Security, and contributed to tools like uProxy and Talek. A 2018 CSIS NextGen Scholar, Scott explores ethical dilemmas in censorship measurement and advocates for resilient digital infrastructure. His research spans technical, policy, and social dimensions of internet access, emphasizing global connectivity challenges and privacy-enhancing technologies.

Education & Background: PhD studies in Computer Science, with a focus on network security and distributed systems. Active in academic publishing and conference participation.

Key Projects:

• Censored Planet: Tracks global censorship through DNS and application-layer measurements.
• Cuban Street Network: Analyzed community-driven networks in Havana.
• TapDance: ISP-scale traffic engineering protocols.

Recent Work: Explores coordination systems, privacy in decentralized data transfer, and ethical considerations in censorship research. Engages in policy discussions through CSIS and academic outreach.

Awards: 2018 CSIS NextGen Scholars Program recognition for contributions to U.S.-DPRK policy dialogue.