What is Tor Browser? Software for protecting your identity online

Doesn’t Tor enable criminals to do bad things?

Tor’s mission is to advance human rights with free and open-source technology, empowering users to defend against mass surveillance and internet censorship. We hate that there are some people who use Tor for nefarious purposes, and we condemn the misuse and exploitation of our technology for criminal activity.

It’s essential to understand that criminal intent lies with the individuals and not the tools they use. Just like other widely available technology, Tor can be used by individuals with criminal intent. And because of other options they can use it seems unlikely that taking Tor away from the world will stop them from engaging in criminal activity. At the same time, Tor and other privacy measures can fight identity theft, physical crimes like stalking, and be used by law enforcement to investigate crime and help support survivors.

Is Tor Browser anonymous?

Tor Browser offers the best anonymous web browsing available today, but that anonymity is not perfect. We are currently witnessing an arms race between researchers seeking to strengthen Tor, or even develop a next generation anonymity tool, and governments around the world studying how to break Tor’s anonymity properties.

The most successful technique to de-anonymize Tor Browser users has been to hack them. The FBI has used this technique successfully in numerous criminal cases, and under Rule 41, enacted in 2016 by US Chief Justice Roberts of the Supreme Court, the FBI can now mass hack large numbers of computers anywhere in the world using a single warrant.

Such hacking techniques ought to concern everyone, as innocent Tor users will inevitably get caught up in such fishing expeditions.