MASQUE aims to develop mechanisms for proxied communications, whereby a client connecting to an entry server has a directive that effectively creates a tunnel to another server. This is often used by VPNs to enable users to browse the web without revealing their real IP addresses. It can provide countermeasures for people and network services operating behind restrictive surveillance or censorship regimes in order to access and distribute information that normally would be blocked. MASQUE is similar to some aspects of the Tor project’s network of nodes, but uses QUIC to provide anonymisation of network traffic. It is also designed for operation by large providers, whereas Tor is designed for a large number of small providers. It is also used in systems like Apple’s Private Relay to provide a level of network address anonymisation.