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Tor Browser 12.0

blog.torproject.org

161–170 of 230 posts

Re: Tor Browser 12.0

#161

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Can you elaborate on this? I think I'm missing some context.

Based on their blog post where they want more deplatforming capabilities https://blog.mozilla.org/en/mozilla/we-need-more-than-deplat... There was also a comment from one of the Tor foundation members about how they wish they were able to deplatform kiwi farms from tor but it’s technically not possible.

On a network that hosts CSAM and drug markets, the worst thing is a gossip forum.

Re: Tor Browser 12.0

#162
post #109

Earlier quoted context omitted.

A colleague at a former academic job was questioned by campus police because he was one of a handful of people on the university network connected to TOR when a bomb threat was submitted (I forget how, though) from an IP address running a TOR exit node. Bomb threats from students were pretty common during exams, so after the cops saw that it was our very privacy conscious dev ops guy they didn't pursue him as a suspe…

Sometimes it goes the other way too. In my high school, a handful of kids wore all black every day. They were harmless valley girls/guys if you spoke with them. I figured they _wanted_ to be seen as a threat. Why would someone make a legit bomb threat? Isn't the point of the bomb for it to explode?

Two historical examples: The Weather Underground regularly and the IRA occasionally called in their bombs in advance order to reduce/remove civilian casualties. They tried to give enough time to evacuate an area but not enough time to find and defuse the device.

Re: Tor Browser 12.0

#163

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Rather than playing coy, you should tackle the challenging part of your argument head-on: tell us why you think Tor is different from other technologies that are routinely abused. That would actually be a substantive contribution to the discussion.

Why do I have to tell you this when it should be instantly obvious: Tor is literally designed to obfuscate the identity of people. A coffee machine isn't.

I assume that since you think that desiring anonymity is criminal that you wouldn't mind replying with your full legal name.

Re: Tor Browser 12.0

#164
post #85

Earlier quoted context omitted.

A colleague at a former academic job was questioned by campus police because he was one of a handful of people on the university network connected to TOR when a bomb threat was submitted (I forget how, though) from an IP address running a TOR exit node. Bomb threats from students were pretty common during exams, so after the cops saw that it was our very privacy conscious dev ops guy they didn't pursue him as a suspe…

Was it this incident? https://www.theverge.com/2013/12/18/5224130/fbi-agents-track...

Much more recent.

Re: Tor Browser 12.0

#165
post #109

Earlier quoted context omitted.

A colleague at a former academic job was questioned by campus police because he was one of a handful of people on the university network connected to TOR when a bomb threat was submitted (I forget how, though) from an IP address running a TOR exit node. Bomb threats from students were pretty common during exams, so after the cops saw that it was our very privacy conscious dev ops guy they didn't pursue him as a suspe…

Sometimes it goes the other way too. In my high school, a handful of kids wore all black every day. They were harmless valley girls/guys if you spoke with them. I figured they _wanted_ to be seen as a threat. Why would someone make a legit bomb threat? Isn't the point of the bomb for it to explode?

I wore all black as a high school student. It fit with my subculture intersts and I just dug the dark aesthetic. I knew other people found it to be unsettling but figured they should probably be more open minded and judge people for what they do and say rather than how they look... I was right, too. Cops disagreed. The nice part is how pleased people were to find out how pleasant I was to talk to.

Re: Tor Browser 12.0

#166

I once spoke with someone who knew someone who ran an exit node in Europe. He told crazy stories with police knocking every once in a while. Also the legal structure to do that was tricky, because you want to avoid the police searching your house; you'd also like tl spread responsability on multiple shoulders. So you have to create a kind of non-profit organization and run the exit node through that. It's very hard w…

It is widely suspected that the US NSA runs a large number of Tor exit nodes themselves. Tor was originally developed by a US military research lab and received additional funding under the justification that it would help dissidents in China and North Korea evade their country's censorship and surveillance. It also doubles as a way for the US government to surveil anyone seeking to evade surveillance as well.

See the sources cited at: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tor_(network)#Exit_node_eavesd...

Re: Tor Browser 12.0

#167

How much do you believe what this book (by Yasha Levine, writer for Wired, New York Observer, etc) states — that Tor is funded by the CIA and has backdoors? https://www.amazon.com/Surveillance-Valley-Military-History-...

It is 100% false that Tor was funded by the CIA. However, it is a very well documented fact that Tor was initially funded by the US Naval Research Laboratory, which also has a mandate for international intelligence gathering. Get your organizations right.

Re: Tor Browser 12.0

#168

I once spoke with someone who knew someone who ran an exit node in Europe. He told crazy stories with police knocking every once in a while. Also the legal structure to do that was tricky, because you want to avoid the police searching your house; you'd also like tl spread responsability on multiple shoulders. So you have to create a kind of non-profit organization and run the exit node through that. It's very hard w…

I've been running exit nodes in europe for years and not even a call from the police, what's wrong with me? huh? ;) I do regularly handle abuse complaints by blocking IPs or other actions.

Have you been blocked by any major services? I've heard horror stories from colleagues of their static IP address eventually being blocked from their bank.

Re: Tor Browser 12.0

#169

Earlier quoted context omitted.

For example, once or twice people called me (somehow) and asked why I was hacking their websites. I tried to explain, but I doubt I convinced anyone.

How would a non government entity get a physical address or phone number from an IP ?

Social engineering can be very powerful. Small ISPs could fall victim to this easier.

Re: Tor Browser 12.0

#170

All comments here focus on extreme cases: The police viewing you as a possible suspect, FBI becoming interested in you etc. Here is a much more mundane problem: Using Tor (even a VPN) while logging in to most big Silicon Valley firma that make money with your data (LinkedIn, Facebook, Tinder etc.) will result in your profile being suspended REAL FAST with the only way out to upload your gov't ID, i.e. complete deanon…

I struggle with the very same problem. Even connecting a real physical SIM won't protect accounts from suspension. This is crazy because it isn't based on behavior on the platform (like posting too much or liking too much) but merely on the IP and browser fingerprint. Unfortunately, no solutions in sight.

The solution is simple. Don't use a site that abuses your privacy.
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