Tor (The Onion Router) is an open-source software program that hides your activity and location online by routing all your browsing through multiple anonymous servers, thereby it prevents somebody watching your Internet connection from learning what sites you visit. It prevents the sites you visit from learning your physical location, and it lets you access sites which are blocked.
It protects against a common form of Internet surveillance known as traffic analysis. It consists of a huge proxy database that users can access to protect their network privacy and keep their online identity safe.
Using Tor’s software will make it difficult, if not impossible, for any snoops to see your webmail, search history, social media posts or other online activity. They also won’t be able to tell which country you’re in by analyzing your IP address, which can be very useful for journalists, activists, businesspeople and more.
Who owns Tor?
How Tor works
The name Tor originated as an acronym for The Onion Router, and refers to the way in which data encryption is layered. When using Tor:
- Your internet connection is routed through at least 3 random “nodes” (volunteer run servers)
- These nodes can be located anywhere in the world
- The data is re-encrypted multiple times (each time it passes through a node)
- Each node is only aware of the IP addresses “in front” of it, and the IP address of the node “behind” it
- This should mean that at no point can anyone know the whole path between your computer and the website you are trying to connect to (even if some nodes along the path nodes are controlled by malicious entities)
The real beauty of the Tor system is that you do not have to trust anyone. It is designed so that no-one can discover your true identity, and (if you connect to a secure website) no-one can access your data.
What can you do with Tor browser that you normally Do?
What Tor Doesn’t Do?
How do I host a Tor relay?
Advantages Of Tor Browser
- Since it is a distributed network run by volunteers, it is extremely difficult for any government or organization to shut it down.
- The routing method does not reveal your IP address to the websites you visit.
- It’s free to use the software and network.
- Allows you to access geographically restricted websites and content.
Tor Browser is For Android Users
After desktop, now Tor Project has released first ever Tor Browser for Android users. Tor gets its first official mobile browser for Android app. Read more.