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Tor
Tor is the name of several related and interconnected projects, all centered around providing you with anonymity and privacy online. In the simplest sense, Tor is the name of a free software project that protects your privacy online by bouncing your communications around a distributed network of computers (called "relays") run by volunteers all around the world. This network of relays is called the Tor Network.
The Tor Browser Bundle is a web browser (forked from Firefox) that is pre-configured to protect your anonymity online. It includes related projects like Vidalia, TorButton and others that make browsing anonymously simple. The Tor Browser Bundle is the only recommended way to use Tor.
Finally, The Tor Project is a 501(c)(3) non-profit (charity) organization that maintains and develops the Tor software and related projects.
Common misconceptions
Please watch the video 'The Tor Network' by Jacob Applebaum and Roger Dingledine at the 30c3 (Chaos Communication Congress) in Hamburg, Germany (link here). Applebaum and Dingledine are two of Tor's key people, and this talk will clear up any skepticisms and misconceptions you have.
Please also take a look at Tor's Frequently asked questions.
- Tor is illegal to use
It might be in places like North Korea or ISIS-controlled Syria. In places like Rwanda, Iran, China, Russia or Venezuela it might make you a target of "law enforcement" authorities that don't give a fuck about law and are more concerned with silencing enemies of The System. In places like USA, Germany, Norway, or any other reasonably sane country and you'll be perfectly fine.
- The deep web is a dangerous place to browse, and you get hackers and viruses attacking you there
The deep web or dark net are really just terms that are used in scaremongering. What they really refer to, is all the networking that can't be accessed via Google. Think about this for a second: this includes company and school intranets; hell, any network that you have to log in to to access is included here. Once you realise this, you realise that it's not as bad as once thought. It's also not as big.
- There's nothing but child porn and illegal stuff on Tor
Firstly, people will continue to do this stuff regardless of whether or not Tor exists; people do it on the internet and in real life anyway, so this doesn't count. Secondly, Tor is also used by reporters, protesters, police officers, soldiers, and other people who just want to browse anonymously.
- It's too slow to stream/torrent over
Tor's speed comes from how many resources are provided by generous people. Also, Tor is not for torrenting over.
- I'll get arrested or get into trouble with my ISP or someone else for running Tor
You will only need to worry about this if you are running a Tor exit node. There are also some excellent resources created by the Tor staff; give them a read:
- Running a Tor exit node for minimal harassment
- a list of template letters you can send to your ISP about Tor abuse
- A FAQ list on Tor abuse
You may also be interested in the Tor Metrics pages which will show you how common the use of Tor is in your country:
- Direct Tor connections from the US
- Direct Tor connections from the UK
- Direct Tor connections from Antarctica
Suggestions
There are a few things to keep in mind while using the Tor Browser Bundle:
- Make sure the Tor Browser Bundle is configured correctly so that you're not leaking any information unknowingly. There are a number of websites you should use:
- Are you using Tor? is a simple webpage that checks if you're using Tor or not. If you view the webpage in the Tor Browser Bundle, it should say: "Congratulations. This browser is configured to use Tor." There are a few cases when the website will give you a false positive, but for the most part, if everything is configured correctly, it should more often than not tell you that the Tor Browser Bundle is configured to use Tor. If not (for example, if you view the webpage in Firefox, Chrome, or other browsers not configured to use Tor), it should say: "Sorry. You are not using Tor." This website should be the first tool you check to make sure you're using the Tor Browser Bundle correctly.
- By default, JavaScript is enabled. There are a few reasons for this; first and foremost, disabling JavaScript breaks a large number of websites in the clearnet, especially newer websites, as web developers have become reliant on using JavaScript for added usability and functionality. The other reason is, using NoScript to disable JavaScript globally but only whitelisting a few websites creates a unique fingerprint (everyone who uses NoScript this way whitelists different websites), which harms your anonymity. If usability is not a concern for you, I suggest simply disabling JavaScript altogether. Type about:config into the address bar of the Tor Browser Bundle, type "javascript.enabled" in the search bar that appears, and double click the setting to set it to "false." If you would like to be extra safe, you can also click the NoScript icon (the big "S" next to the address bar) and select "Forbid scripts globally."
