Table Of Content
torproject.org
The Tor Project did not gain its 501©3 nonprofit certification until 2006, but the research and coding that led to the concept of ?onion routing? began many years ago.
Okay, so if you're not familiar with the Tor Project, we're going to first explore how it functions as a private and encrypted browser for internet activity. If you're concerned about your streaming experience when using Tor, let's first look into the vision, philosophy, and central idea behind its creation. As more and more of our data is bought and sold to corporations, many people have come to value their online privacy, which is why the Tor Project was created with this in mind.
If you look at the About section of torproject.org, you'll see that the developers, researchers, and founders who have made Tor possible are a diverse group of people. But all of them share the same belief: internet users should have private access to an uncensored web.
And this is basically what Tor stands for: protection of privacy. As we see the traditional internetâor the Clearnet, as it is also knownâbecome increasingly censored, moderated, surveilled, and mined for data, Tor offers a version of the internet that is of the people and for the people. With everything you do on the Tor browser being sent through a complex network of encryption, you are virtually guaranteed not to be tracked. Your web history and data will not be easily collected (if at all). In short, Tor offers the closest thing to 100% privacy on the webâa rare and highly valued commodity.
History
In 1995, David Goldschlag, Mike Reed, and Paul Syverson - researchers at the US Naval Research Lab - began to question whether it would be possible to create an anonymous web browsing experience. As a result, they began to design designs for what would become known as an onion network.
the name ?onion?.
Due to the encryption employed in onion networks, it's often difficult to track the origins and destinations of online traffic. This is similar to how the Tor browser operates today. The term "onion" refers to the many layers of encryption used in these networks; thus, the network is called an onion.
Tor browsing is secure because it utilizes an onion network of servers that encrypts data constantly. This is how the Tor network works today. So, Tor browsing is often referred to as \"onion routing? because it consists of many layers of encryption and privacy.
Many years passed, many trials were conducted, and onion networks proved to be successful. The three men who created the first onion network had accomplished something that was previously thought to be impossible- a decentralized, 100% private version of the internet. Onion networks were shown to successfully be able to bypass government firewalls (thereby sidestepping censorship laws). This, of course, led to the Tor Project becoming an invaluable resource for activists, journalists, and revolutionaries living under dictatorships in the mid-2000s.
Tor was officially released in 2006, and today it remains a free and easy to use browser. It is popular for its privacy features, which allow users to browse the web anonymously. All you need is the Tor browser and an internet connection.
Despite its successful encryption power and potential for anonymity, Tor has resulted in the creation of some of the darker layers of the web. Specifically, the "dark" web (sometimes called the "deep web?) can be accessed via Tor. A hotbed for illegal activity, in a twist of irony, this decentralized version of the internet created by the US military has become one of the biggest challenges to federal authorities.
Generally speaking, the dark web is best left to those with a more experienced and knowledgeable frame of mind.
Design
I'm sure you're already familiar with the basics of Tor, but just in case you're not, here's a quick rundown: it's a web browser that allows you to browse the internet anonymously. It looks a lot like Google Chrome, and there isn't much you need to learn in order to use it.
You'll find your collection of tabs at the top of the browser, just as you would expect. In the top right-hand corner of the browser, you'll find a settings dropdown menu. This menu has options for accessing your library of saved sites and content, a list of your logins and passwords, extensions, page viewing options, etc. One thing that is notably missing from this menu is a history button - because that's part of the point of Tor, it does not track your history.
Desktop and Mobile Experience
As far as actual user experience is concerned, most people find Tor to be just as intuitive as the best non-encrypted web browsers out there. It is easy to use and familiar, all the hotkeys are the same, and you won't have to learn anything new to make the most of it. Plus, whether you are using the desktop version of the mobile app version of Tor, you are guaranteed a smooth and reliable experience.
However, there are some downsides to Tor that other web browsers do not necessarily create. For example, loading and buffering times will likely be slower. This is because of the way a decentralized network works - data is constantly encrypted and scrambled across a large server network. So, your data has to be sent out across numerous servers and scrambled multiple times over before it can make it back to you. This will take longer than if your data is sent one place and back immediately, unencrypted.
This may be frustrating, of course, for anyone who prefers to stream HD video content. In fact, you may find yourself growing impatient with the buffering speeds of lower quality streams. However, deciding whether or not to use Tor is going to probably be a matter of deciding how much you value your online privacy. Basically, do you want to speed up your downloading and streaming experience or keep your online activities completely private?
That being said, you can still take advantage of most of the bells and whistles that a traditional web browser offers. Even though your data is not trackable, you can still make and save bookmarks and login information. There are also extensions available for Tor. However, it should be noted that the Tor Project itself does not recommend using them?at least if true anonymity is your goal. Makers of add-ons, of course, can potentially access your data and Tor, therefore, cannot regulate what those add-on software developers do with it. Therefore, an ad blocker, for example, can be used with Tor?but it could potentially undo the whole purpose of using Tor in the first place; it could endanger your privacy.
Conclusion
At the end of the day, Tor is a great tool for keeping your data anonymous and encrypted. But if you are looking for fast and lossless video streaming, Tor might not be the most practical choice. Once again, it all boils down to what you most value when it comes to your online experience. If you find that privacy is important to you, definitely go with Tor. Otherwise, you're probably better off with Chrome or Firefox.
Popular search queries
