Tor's Hidden Past: The Evolution from Military Venture to Guardian of Online Privacy
The U.S. government's involvement in the development of Tor and related online privacy technologies dates back to the 1990s. At this time, the U.S. Naval Research Laboratory (NRL) sought to create anonymous communication systems to protect confidential government communications and intelligence activities [1][2][3][5].
This research led to the creation of The Onion Router (Tor) technology, designed to enable U.S. intelligence agencies to use the internet without risk of identification [3][5]. The technology was developed to protect military users' communications on the commercial internet, as the rise of the commercial internet presented challenges for military users [3].
Tor launched in 2002 as a network that bounces encrypted traffic through multiple distributed servers worldwide, anonymizing user locations and internet activity [1][3]. Initially, Tor was intended for use by intelligence agencies, but recognizing that anonymizing software only useful to one agency would be ineffective, the U.S. government made Tor open source and began funding its maintenance through an independent nonprofit called the Tor Project [3].
This move helped Tor grow beyond its military origins and empowered privacy advocates, journalists, human rights activists, and dissidents in authoritarian regimes to communicate and access information securely [1][3]. However, the dark web enabled by Tor has also become a platform for illicit activities such as drug trafficking, arms sales, and other illegal trade facilitated by anonymous cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin [3].
Despite such challenges, Tor remains legal and critical for protecting online privacy, whistleblower safety, and freedom of speech [4]. The Tor Browser, a distributed digital infrastructure, makes users anonymous online by encrypting and bouncing signals around the world before they reach the service being accessed [3].
The development and promotion of Tor united an odd coalition of activists, journalists, drug buyers, hackers, and the military, demonstrating that the need for online privacy transcends political and social boundaries [4]. The BBC and Facebook have Tor-only versions to allow users in authoritarian countries to reach them [4].
The NRL researchers sought to solve the problem of keeping internet traffic between the U.S. and other nations secret, not only in content but also in origin and destination [3]. Onion routing, the solution they developed, hides routing information under layers of encryption and bounces traffic around a network of onion routers, making it difficult for governments to trace user activity or block access [3].
However, the use of Tor and the dark web has raised concerns about its role in facilitating illegal activities. The UK's Online Safety Act, for instance, is justified as a tool to protect women and children from harm, but many argue that it undermines their rights to self-determination and autonomy [4].
Breaking encryption in practice intensifies surveillance of women and children, often threatening their safety rather than protecting them [4]. Therefore, robust, well-funded, value-driven, and democratically accountable content moderation is a better solution than surveillance tools or magical tech fixes to social problems [4].
In summary, the U.S. government played a foundational role in creating and funding Tor, initially motivated by national security needs. However, its open-source approach has made Tor and similar privacy technologies vital for civil liberties and anonymous internet usage globally [1][2][3][5]. The development and promotion of Onion routing united an unlikely alliance between cypherpunks and the U.S. Navy, demonstrating that the need for online privacy transcends political and social boundaries.
- The development of Tor extended beyond its initial military purposes, so much so that it has become a crucial tool in the medical field, helping individuals with medical conditions, neurological disorders, and those residing in authoritarian regimes to securely access information and communicate with privacy advocates, journalists, and human rights activists.
- The growing relevance of data and cloud computing in today's technological landscape necessitates stringent cybersecurity measures to protect sensitive information. AsTor provides a reliable and anonymized platform for online activity, securing it against possible cyberattacks becomes imperative to safeguard the privacy of its users.
- Interestingly, contemporary discussions around online privacy and anonymity in the context of Tor have revealed its implications in the realm of social justice and human rights. As debates ensue over the role of Tor in facilitating illicit activities like drug trafficking and arms sales on the dark web, there is an urgent need to address the relationship between privacy, freedom of speech, and the protection of vulnerable groups, such as women and children, online.
