Published on 2025-12-05
This month's newsletter looks at Mexico lifting Tor restrictions on government
sites, Tor's deployment of a new encryption mechanism for relays, and the
anti-censorship team's lessons from combating blocks in Iran and Russia. Plus
updates on Tor Browser Alpha's shift to a new release cycle and the latest Arti
1.8.0 features.
Free the Internet: The Tor Project's annual fundraiser
Is the internet today the internet you want for future generations? What if
instead of for-profit greed, rampant privacy violations, and pervasive
government spying, we could have a different relationship with the internet?
What if we could FREE THE INTERNET from the chains of surveillance and
censorship?
Tor is a building block for a free internet, and it takes our collective
efforts to improve and amplify it. That's why during the next three months, the
Tor Project will be holding a fundraising campaign during which we ask for your
support to advance digital freedom. During this period, your donation will be
matched by our supporters at Power Up Privacy: https://powerupprivacy.com/.
This means a $25 donation will have a $50 impact--and all donations over $25
will qualify you for fun Tor merchandise. Learn more here:
https://https://blog.torproject.org/2025-fundraiser-donations-matched/
Mexican government partially unblocks secure internet
Mexico blocked Tor access to government websites citing security concerns. The
current administration lifted the main block earlier this year, though some
sites appear to remain restricted. Ironically, the government had previously
used Tor for its own anti-corruption whistleblower system while blocking
citizens.Â
Learn more in this guest post you can find on our blog. If you have a relevant
story you want to share with the Tor community, please get in touch via
press[at]torproject.org:
https://blog.torproject.org/mexican-government-partially-unblocks-tor/
Counter Galois Onion: Improved encryption for Tor circuit traffic
Tor is upgrading its relay encryption algorithm for improved security. In
upcoming releases, Arti and Tor will both support a new encryption algorithm
called Counter Galois Onion (CGO). CGO prevents attackers from tampering with
encrypted traffic, adds forward secrecy, and brings Tor's encryption up to
modern standards. Find more details and detailed schematics here:
https://blog.torproject.org/introducing-cgo/
Staying ahead of censors in 2025: What we've learned from fighting censorship
in Iran and Russia
In 2025, Tor faced some of the toughest censorship yet. From Iran’s wartime
internet blackouts to Russia’s rapidly evolving blocking tactics. Tor’s
anti-censorship team sprung into action and strengthened Snowflake, deployed
the new Conjure pluggable transport, and made WebTunnel more wide available.
Thanks to real-time monitoring, community feedback, and faster bridge
distribution, Tor keeps people connected when it matters most. Want to help?
You can support our mission by running a Snowflake proxy or hosting a WebTunnel
bridge. Learn more here: https://blog.torproject.org/staying-ahead-of-censors-2025/
Keeping up with the latest releases
The Future of Tor Browser Alpha
Starting with Tor Browser 16.0a1, the Tor Browser Alpha release channel will be
based on Firefox Rapid Release rather than Firefox Extended Support Release.
Among other factors, this means we are basically moving to one major feature
release per year. You can find a full overview of the expected changes and our
rationale behind making them here:
https://blog.torproject.org/future-of-tor-browser-alpha/
Arti 1.8.0
Arti is our ongoing project to create a next-generation Tor
implementation in Rust. Arti 1.8.0 introduces a new, usage-based, timeout for
strongly isolated circuits. Find out everything that's new in the release
notes: https://blog.torproject.org/arti_1_8_0_released/
Other releases
New Release: Tor Browser 15.0.2, November 19, 2025
New Release: Tails 7.2, November 13, 2025
Upcoming Events
State of the Onion 2025 – Community Day, December 10, 2025 - 17:00 UTC
Join us for part 2 of State of the Onion: Community Day. Building on this
year's theme, we've invited other members of the Tor community to share
insights from their work and how they are supporting the fight to FREE THE
INTERNET. Find more information about how to join live via X, YouTube, or using
an Onion Service: https://blog.torproject.org/community-day-state-of-the-onion-2025/.
Keep in touch
If you don't already follow us on Bluesky, please do so:
https://bsky.app/profile/torproject.org.
For support and exchange with our community, the Tor Forum is the best place
to be. And the Tor Blog and newsletter are
still the most reliable source of Tor news. So, please encourage others to
join our mailing list by sharing
this email.
Published on 2025-11-06
We've launched our annual fundraiser, given the Tor user Support portal a
refresh, launched Tor Browser 15, and updated Tor's privacy policy to include
Tor VPN. Join us for our upcoming State of the Onion 2025 on November 12, 2025,
to learn how Tor keeps the lifeline alive that is powering privacy, access to
information, and rewriting the rules of the internet.
Free the Internet: The Tor Project's annual fundraiser
Is the internet today the internet you want for future generations? What if
instead of for-profit greed, rampant privacy violations, and pervasive
government spying, we could have a different relationship with the internet?
What if we could FREE THE INTERNET from the chains of surveillance and
censorship?
Tor is a building block for a free internet, and it takes our collective
efforts to improve and amplify it. That's why during the next three months, the
Tor Project will be holding a fundraising campaign during which we ask for your
support to advance digital freedom. During this period, your donation will be
matched by our supporters at Power Up Privacy: https://powerupprivacy.com/.
This means a $25 donation will have a $50 impact--and all donations over $25
will qualify you for fun Tor merchandise. Learn more here:
https://blog.torproject.org/2025-fundraiser-donations-matched/
A new home for Tor user documentation
Finding support shouldn't be hard. That's why we've launched the new Tor user
Support portal: a single, unified home that brings together the Tor Browser
User Manual and the Support portal, making it easier for everyone to access the
documentation they need to use Tor safely and confidently. Find out more about
the community of contributors who have made this redesign possible, and how you
can get involved making Tor more accessible to users worldwide:
https://blog.torproject.org/new-user-support-portal-tor-tails/
Keeping up with the latest releases
Tor Browser 15.0
What's new? Tabs, tabs, and more tabs! Perfect for privacy-conscious power
users, researchers, and anyone who accumulates tabs frighteningly quickly!
On desktop, we've introduced vertical tabs in your sidebar, tab groups to
organize, name, and color-code, and a unified search button in the address bar.
Android tabs get a screen lock for an extra layer of security for your browsing
sessions. Your tabs lock automatically when you switch away, protecting your
privacy even if someone gains temporary access to your unlocked phone.Â
Information on all the updates can be found here:
https://blog.torproject.org/new-release-tor-browser-150/
Tor Browser 15.0 is now available! Our first stable release based on Firefox
ESR 140, incorporating a year's worth of changes. Download now from the Tor
Browser download page: https://www.torproject.org/download/
Tails 7.1
This Tails release updates core components including Tor Browser 14.5.8, Tor
client 0.4.8.19, and Thunderbird 140.3.0. Tor Browser now opens to an offline
homepage for better privacy, and the confusing "connection not managed by Tor
Browser" message in new tabs has been removed. The release also improves admin
password prompts and removes the legacy ifupdown package. **All the details
can be found in the release notes:
https://blog.torproject.org/new-release-tails-7_1/
Arti 1.7.0
Arti is our ongoing project to create a next-generation Tor implementation in
Rust. Arti 1.7.0 stabilizes the onion service restricted discovery feature,
previously known as "client authorization". In addition to Arti's existing
SOCKS proxy, Arti now has experimental support for running an HTTP CONNECT
proxy. This release of Arti continues behind-the-scenes development of
functionality required to support relays and directory authorities. This
development has focused on the routing architecture and protocol implementation
(circuits and channels), parsing and generating Tor network documents,
directory cache support, and the relay main-loop/front-end code. Find out
everything that's new in the release notes:
https://blog.torproject.org/arti_1_7_0_released/
Privacy Policy update: Tor VPN added
We've updated our Privacy Policy to include Tor VPN--Tor's early access VPN
release for Android.
Tor VPN follows the same privacy-first principles you expect from us: no
sign-ins, no tracking, no logging of personal information. All user settings
and session data are stored locally on your device only and are never
transmitted to The Tor Project, and are not linked to user identity or
device information.
The policy update provides full details on what permissions Tor VPN requires,
and how your device-only settings are handled. The changes are effective
October 30th, 2025, and you can review the Tor Project's updated Privacy Policy
at https://www.torproject.org/about/privacy_policy/
Upcoming Events
Save the date: State of the Onion 2025 --Â November 12 & December 10, 2025
When censorship strikes, Tor provides a lifeline to access information--a
lifeline to a FREE INTERNET. Tune in to this year's State of the Onion event to
hear about how our teams and community work tirelessly behind the scenes to
keep it alive. Find more information here:
https://blog.torproject.org/state-of-the-onion-2025/ and be sure to set a
notification here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fTDtUoauU74
Funding the Commons (Conference), Buenos Aires -- Nov 19, 2025
A one-day summit on financial access, coordination, and crypto systems that
actually work, featuring expert talks and panels, demo and workshop sessions.
The Tor Project is co-hosting the event, and Roger Dingledine will give a talk.
Register and learn more here: https://www.fundingthecommons.io/ba2025
Keep in touch
If you don't already follow us on Bluesky, please do so: https://bsky.app/profile/torproject.org.
For support and exchange with our community, the Tor Forum is the best place
to be. And the Tor Blog and newsletter are
still the most reliable source of Tor news. So, please encourage others to
join our mailing list by sharing
this email.
Published on 2025-10-08
Discover how Turkmenistan's regime profits from the censorship it enforces—blocking internet access while secretly selling it back to citizens. Learn about Tor Project's commitment to donor privacy through CiviCRM. And get early access to the new Tor VPN Beta for Android, which routes each app through its own Tor circuit. Plus, updates on Arti 1.5.0's latest features and critical bug fixes.
Corruption and Control: How Turkmenistan turned internet censorship into a business
In July 2021, a sudden drop in Tor usage in Turkmenistan called our attention. Tor would come to understand that this marked the beginning of a new era of censorship and restriction in this post-Soviet country.
Find out more about how one of the world's most isolated regimes has pushed internet censorship beyond surveillance and control. In an Orwellian twist, the people blocking access to the internet are the same ones secretly selling it back, at a price most Turkmens can't afford: https://blog.torproject.org/Corruption-Control-Turkmenistan-internet-censorship-business/
Our commitment to donor privacy at Tor
Tor is committed to securely managing donor data and communications. In this post, we share a little bit about the Customer Relationship Management (CRM) software, CiviCRM, that we use to store donation records and donor information. We hope this offers you confidence in how your personal data is handled and secured whenever you make a donation: https://blog.torproject.org/our-commitment-to-donor-privacy-at-tor/
Keeping up with the latest releases
Tor VPN Beta: now testing
Last month, we've opened early access testing for Tor VPN–a new VPN app for Android developed by the Tor Project. Tor VPN Beta routes your app traffic through Tor, giving each app its own Tor circuit and exit IP, preventing network observers from connecting all of your online activity.
Important limitations:
- Early beta: not for high-risk users or sensitive use cases
- Limited anti-censorship features:Â connection issues likely in heavily censored regions
- Expect bugs: and help report them: support.torproject.org/misc/bug-or-feedback/
This release is for testers who can safely participate and want to help shape mobile privacy. Join the beta: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=org.torproject.vpn&hl=en_US
Tails 7.0
We are very excited to present you Tails 7.0, the first version of Tails based on Debian 13 (Trixie) and GNOME 48 (Bengaluru). Tails 7.0 brings new versions of many applications included in Tails.
Arti 1.5.0
Arti 1.5.0 continues development on important client features, including Counter Galois Onion encryption, Conflux, flow control and congestion control, and onion service proof of work. It also includes significant backend work for Arti relay support. Additionally, this release mitigates a longstanding bug that could prevent Arti clients from bootstrapping: https://blog.torproject.org/arti_1_5_0_released/
Other releases
Upcoming Events
RealFi Hack (Online) -- September 23 - October 16, 2025
If you care about making technology usable in the real world, this is for you. Funding the Commons is introducing RealFi Hack: A global virtual hackathon bringing together builders creating practical solutions to real problems. Members of the Tor Project will be sharing updates about Arti, OnionMasq and more, and also be available as mentors. Will you join us? Register now via Devspot: https://t.co/E5OQXMAige
Media Fest 2025, Washington DC -- October 15-18, 2025
The nation's largest media convention for pros and college students sponsored by the Associated Collegiate Press, College Media Association, and Society of Professional Journalists, is hosting a session on "Using Tor to protect you and your sources": https://mediafest25.com/
Funding the Commons (Conference), Buenos Aires -- Nov 19, 2025
A one-day summit on financial access, coordination, and crypto systems that actually work, featuring expert talks and panels, demo and workshop sessions. The Tor Project is co-hosting the event, and Roger Dingledine will give a talk. Register and learn more here: https://www.fundingthecommons.io/ba2025
Save the date: State of the Onion 2025 --Â November 12 & December 10, 2025
Mark your calendars for this year's *State of the Onion--*Tor's annual virtual event that showcases and celebrates the achievements of the Tor Project and Tor community. More details to follow soon!
Keep in touch
If you don't already follow us on Bluesky, please do so: https://bsky.app/profile/torproject.org.
For support and exchange with our community, the Tor Forum is the best place to be. And the Tor Blog and newsletter are still the most reliable source of Tor news. So, please encourage others to join our mailing list by sharing this email.
Published on 2025-05-29
Not only is privacy possible, it is being built right now if our latest updates are any indication: From a new command-line utility isolating Tor network information on Linux to creating smaller network footprints and infrastructure with cryptographic Family Certificates, read all about how our latest releases and your support help make privacy the default.
Privacy is possible -- even when it feels out of reach
Opting out of Big Tech means investing in better alternatives. That's where Tor, Tor Browser, and Tails come in. Help fuel the development of truly private tools and learn how to get involved in our spring fundraising campaign: https://blog.torproject.org/sc25/.
Introducing oniux: Kernel-level Tor isolation for any Linux app
Learn more about Kernel-level Tor isolation for any Linux app. This torsocks alternative uses namespaces to isolate Linux applications over the Tor network and eliminate data leaks. But how does it work exactly? Find out here: https://blog.torproject.org/introducing-oniux-tor-isolation-using-linux-namespaces/.
Happy Families: new certificates for faster and easier relay management
Relay Families are Tor's way of grouping together relays run by the same operator, providing security and operational transparency. But the current 20-year-old design bloats directory info and becomes a maintenance headache as families grow. Tor 0.4.9 (currently in alpha) introduces cryptographic family certificates to help save up to 50% of the bandwidth cost for initial connections to the Tor network. Here's how it works, and what you can do to speed up the transition: https://blog.torproject.org/happy-families/.
Keeping up with the latest releases
Quo vadis OS Spoofing?
Don't worry, it's here to stay! There's been some online speculation and confusion around OS Spoofing in Tor Browser as a result of Tor Browser's latest stable release. Let's be clear, OS spoofing has never gone anywhere and is here to stay! In fact, Tor has harmonized the experience across JavaScript and HTTP headers.
Tor Browser has always limited user agents to general categories–Windows, macOS, Linux, or Android in JavaScript, and Windows or Android in HTTP Headers. That means we spoof the OS version and architecture, which was always the approach in JavaScript–now it's consistent in HTTP headers too.
Sliding into your...security settings
On a related note, we'd like to thank Privacy Guides for spearheading a productive discussion around a flaw in Tor Browser's security slider [1]. The Tor Project is aware of this issue, and it is being tracked and actively addressed--those interested can follow the discussion and progress here: https://gitlab.torproject.org/tpo/applications/tor-browser/-/issues/42572.
Many ideas are on the table: In addition to a restart prompt, we're also exploring broader improvements to the security level system, including aligning it more closely with Tor Browser's updated threat model (check out our design doc: http://https://gitlab.torproject.org/tpo/applications/wiki/-/wikis/ Design-Documents/Tor-Browser-Design-Doc) and possibly delegating even more of its back-end to NoScript for additional flexibility. These improvements may be part of the upcoming 15.0 release cycle.
[1] https://www.privacyguides.org/articles/2025/05/02/tor-security-slider-flaw/
Other releases
- Arti 1.4.3 is released: Prometheus metrics support, inital work on Counter Galois Onion and congestion control., May 1, 2025
Upcoming Events
Applications for the 2025 Global Gathering are still open...until May 31st!
The Global Gathering will take place on September 8--10 in Estoril, Portugal, bringing together over 1,000 defenders from around the world to collaborate on the most pressing tech-related issues impacting human rights, civil society, and journalism.
Participants come from a wide range of disciplines, including technologists, researchers, frontline defenders, and civil society actors. Topics include online privacy and security, disinformation, artificial intelligence, online surveillance and censorship, open-source circumvention tools, and much more. The deadline to apply is May 31, 2025.
Money 20/20, Amsterdam -- June 3-5, 2025
Tor's ED, Isabela Fernandes, will give a keynote address: "Publicly Funded Infrastructure: Why it Matters More than Ever": https://europe.money2020.com/agenda/schedule#/agenda/event/publicly-funded-infrastructure-why-it-matters-more-than-ever-e102-66127
Internet Governance Forum (IGF) 2025, Oslo -- June 23-27, 2025
We'll host a workshop entitled ["Truth Under Siege: Tools to Counter Digital Censorship" featuring case-studies and insights from leading journalists who work at the front lines of digital censorship. This is a hybrid event, be sure to register: https://www.intgovforum.org/
DW Global Media Forum 2025, Bonn -- July 7-8, 2025
The Global Media Forum is an annual gathering of journalists and media experts from around the world. The Tor Project will host a workshop "Crowdsourcing Censorship Resistance with Snowflake": https://gmf-event.com/event/program-details/199
Keep in touch
If you don't already follow us on Bluesky, please do so: https://bsky.app/profile/torproject.org.
For support and exchange with our community, the Tor Forum is the best place to be. And the Tor Blog and newsletter are still the most reliable source of Tor news. So, please encourage others to join our mailing list by sharing this email.
Published on 2025-04-25
An Onion for Repro Uncensored
When digital surveillance threatens reproductive freedom, privacy and anonymity are the last line of defense. That's why Repro Uncensored and the Tor Project teamed up to launch a censorship-resistant .onion site---ensuring access to reproductive health information and protecting bodily autonomy in the digital age without fear of criminalization.
"At Repro Uncensored, we receive reports every day from organizations and individuals who run into barriers trying to access or share reproductive health information. It can come with serious risks - especially for people in hostile legal environments. We partnered with Tor because we trust its long-standing commitment to privacy and resistance to censorship. Tor allows us to keep information available for those who need it most, without exposing them to surveillance and risk of criminalization. I think of Repro Uncensored as both a shield and a space to experiment - a place where we can test censorship-resistant infrastructure and privacy-preserving practices that can be adapted by other organizations and movements navigating similar threats."
- Martha Dimitratou, Co-Founder and Digital Director, Repro Uncensored
Read the full story to learn more about this partnership here: https://www.reprouncensored.org/research/onion
Tor User Support Now Available in Farsi
We're excited to announce that Farsi-speaking users can now get direct support from the Tor Project! Whether you're trying to access Tor in a region where it's blocked or need help troubleshooting a connection, our team is here to assist---now in Farsi.
This is part of our commitment to meeting users where they are and breaking down language barriers to digital freedom. Support is provided via text on Telegram, WhatsApp, Signal, and email---Monday through Thursday, from 19:30 to 01:30 Iran time.
Learn how to get support and stay safe online: http://torproject.org/user-support-farsi
WebTunnel Celebrates One Year of Combating Cyber Censorship
On World Day Against Cyber Censorship, we were proud to celebrate WebTunnel's first anniversary with the conclusion of our recent community campaign. The Tor community came together and successfully deployed 207 new WebTunnel bridges---exceeding our goal---and bringing our total from 60 to over 300 bridges. We're incredibly grateful to all our volunteers and supporters who made this campaign successful. Your feedback, bug fixes, and documentation improvements have been invaluable.
WebTunnel has proven especially effective in heavily censored regions like China, Iran, and Russia, often outperforming other methods in reliability and speed.
Join our fight against internet censorship: run a WebTunnel bridge, use Snowflake in your browser, or help test Tor tools by becoming an alpha tester. Tor's community-driven model is one of the remaining strongholds against increasing online censorship and surveillance.
Keeping up with the latest releases
Tor Browser 14.5: Connection Assist Comes to Android
Tor Browser 14.5 is now available for download with exciting new features to help more users access the free and open internet.
- After years of development, Connection Assist has finally arrived on Android! This anti-censorship feature automatically finds and tests bridges for you when Tor is blocked, simplifying the connection process with just a single tap.
- We've also expanded language support to include Belarusian, Bulgarian, and Portuguese (Portugal) across all platforms, making our privacy tools accessible to millions more users in their native languages.
- Behind the scenes, this release marks a significant technical milestone with a refactored shared backend between desktop and mobile, bringing improved stability and laying groundwork for future enhancements.
Read the full blog post to learn more about these features and how they're helping users worldwide: https://blog.torproject.org/new-release-tor-browser-145/
Upcoming Events
PDAF 2025 -- May 20--21, 2025
7amleh -- The Arab Center for the Advancement of Social Media announced the launch of the official agenda for the ninth edition of the Palestine Digital Activism Forum 2025 (PDAF). The event will explore how we can rebuild digital infrastructure and resist digital repression. Learn how to combat disinformation, protect privacy, and support education in warzones. Isabela Fernandes, Executive Director of the Tor Project, will moderate the panel The Right to Know: Access to Information in Times of Crises.
Be part of the conversation. Register now: www.pdaf.net
Keep in touch
If you don't already follow us on Bluesky, please do so: https://bsky.app/profile/torproject.org.
For support and exchange with our community, the Tor Forum is the best place to be. And the Tor Blog and newsletter are still the most reliable source of Tor news. So, please encourage others to join our mailing list by sharing this email.
Published on 2025-03-03
We met our match
The results of the 2024 year-end fundraising campaign are in, and you did it, Tor community! You have successfully met and exceeded the 2024 year-end fundraising goal, raising $816,141.70 with the support of Power Up Privacy's [1] $300,000 matching challenge. We want to extend a heartfelt thank you to everyone who contributed to the campaign in one way or another. This strengthens the Tor Project's financial stability, ensuring the continued development of privacy-preserving tools like the Tor network, Tor Browser, Tails, and Snowflake.
In 2025, Tor will focus on improving user experience, expanding integrations, supporting relay operators and digital security trainers, and advancing internet freedom in our commitment to defending Human Rights worldwide: https://blog.torproject.org/celebrating-2024-yec/
[1] https://powerupprivacy.com/
A new coat for Snowflake
Extending a lifeline to blocked internet users can be as simple as opening another browser tab--with Snowflake. To match the straightforward usability of one of Tor's most successful anti-censorship tools, we've given the Snowflake website a much-needed refresh to make it clearer, more accessible, and easier to navigate. The revamp was supported by the Google Summer of Code (GSoC) mentorship program.
Read our interview with mentee Ashish Soni and check out Tor's projects for GSoC 2025: https://blog.torproject.org/snowflake-refresh-to-help-more-people-get-online/
Interested contributors will be able to apply to GSoC from March 24th to April 8th: https://opensource.googleblog.com/2025/02/meet-mentoring-organizations-of-gsoc.html
[2] https://snowflake.torproject.org/
Keeping up with the latest releases
New release: Rdsys 1.0
After years of development, we are officially releasing Rdsys 1.0. Although Rdsys has already been the sole mechanism for distributing bridges since it replaced BridgeDB last October, this version 1.0 milestone officially marks its new status. We now consider Rdsys stable, but our work is far from finished. We are committed to improving Rdsys and fixing issues as they arise, and to adapting quickly to censors' evolving tactics.   
Access the full changelog here: https://blog.torproject.org/new-release-rdsys-1-0/
- New Alpha Release: Tor Browser 14.5a3, February 11, 2025
- Arti 1.4.0 is released: onion services, RPC, relay development, and more, February 7, 2025
- New Release: Tor Browser 14.0.6, February 7, 2025
- New Release: Tails 6.12, February 6, 2025
Upcoming events
FOSSASIA Summit 2025, March 13, 2025 -- March 15, 2025
The FOSSASIA Summit brings together a global community of developers, innovators, enterprises, and educators. The 2025 edition, set to take place in Bangkok, will be a 3-day hybrid event offering both in-person and online experiences.
Roger Dingledine, Co-Founder of The Tor Project, will speak at the event and host an AMA session.
Talk: Tor: privacy for everyone
AMA: Insights from the Tor Project
Cloudfest, March 17, 2025 -- March 20, 2025
Connect with the largest community of internet infrastructure service providers in the world! Over 8,700 technology leaders will be waiting for you at Europa-Park in Rust, Germany!
Roger Dingledine, Co-Founder of The Tor Project, will deliver a keynote address.
In the meantime, if you want to hear from Roger virtually, check out his interview during last week's RightsCon on the "This Week in Cyberspace" podcast: https://open.spotify.com/episode/0TXIWIvSPtvYRlVlJ10tAV?si=4t-M8v1GQAiEgtuOhQD-hA
Keep in touch
Earlier this year, Tor's X (Twitter) account got compromised. This has rightfully sparked larger debates about our future on that platform and how we want to continue to engage with folks on social. We have decided to focus more of our attention on other platforms. If you don't already follow us on Bluesky, please do so:
https://bsky.app/profile/torproject.org.
For support and exchange with our community, the Tor Forum is the best place to be. And the Tor Blog and newsletter are still the most reliable source of Tor news. So, please encourage others to join our mailing list by sharing this email.
Published on 2024-12-05
Tackling abuse complaints, defending the Tor network
At the end of October, the Tor Project and relay operators received abuse complaints regarding alleged port scanning activity from their servers. Thanks to a collaborative effort, the source of the spoofed packets has been identified and shut down. While the attack had a limited impact on the Tor network - taking a few relays offline temporarily - it caused unnecessary stress and inconvenience for many relay operators who had to address these complaints. We want to acknowledge the effect this had on operators, and express our gratitude for their resilience, ability to troubleshoot, collaborate, and continue to support Tor's response to this issue.
https://blog.torproject.org/defending-tor-mitigating-IP-spoofing/
Making new connections: from BridgeDB to Rdsys
Meanwhile, we were excited to fully transition Tor's bridge distribution to Rdsys, replacing BridgeDB. Unlike its predecessor, Rdsys is built as a modular system, dividing responsibilities into separate components--such as distribution logic and communication methods (e.g., email, Telegram)--that work together seamlessly. This architecture lets us experiment with new anti-censorship tools, different distribution channels, and mechanisms to more easily adapt to emerging threats without overhauling the entire system. The best part: it allowed us to get rid of pesky captchas.
Find out more about the benefits of Rdsys and the lessons learned from over 15 years of anti-censorship work.
https://blog.torproject.org/making-connections-from-bridgedb-to-rdsys/
Calling all bridge operators--and those aspiring to be!
As the Russian government intensifies its grip on the internet, Tor's censorship circumvention tools are more critical than ever. This latest wave includes attempts to block Tor bridges and pluggable transports developed by the Tor Project, removal of other circumvention apps from stores, and targeting popular hosting providers, shrinking the space for bypassing censorship.
Thankfully, Tor's new bridge type, Webtunnel, is particularly effective at evading these kinds of attacks. Its design blends itself into other web traffic, allowing a user to hide in plain sight. Since its launch in March of 2024, we've prioritized small download sizes for more convenient distribution. We've also simplified support of uTLS integration, further mimicking the characteristics of widespread browsers.
Our goal is to deploy 200 new WebTunnel bridges by the end of this December to open secure access for Internet users.
If you've ever thought about running a Tor bridge, now is the time! Learn more about how to run WebTunnel bridges here: https://blog.torproject.org/call-for-webtunnel-bridges/
But there are other ways to...
Get involved
When you support Tor, you support folks like Singh, a woman living in the UK who values her privacy and uses Tor Browser to control her online identity. Singh is not a tech expert, but she understands the importance of protecting her personal data in today's digital world. Using Tor Browser allows her to browse the web without leaving a trail for her Internet Service Provider (ISP) or advertisers to follow. Singh relies on Tor to avoid mass surveillance, giving her peace of mind and control over who has access to her online activity.
If you're anything like Singh, and you understand the importance of privacy without getting into the minutiae of setting up your own operating system or writing code, you can support folks like her with a donation of as little as $2.00 USD.
If everyone in our community gave $2.00, we would hit our goal in a few hours. https://blog.torproject.org/freedom-to-browse/
Keeping up with the latest releases
Arti now has a built-in safeguard to control how much memory it uses. This matters to folks running an Onion Service. The feature gives you better control and protection for your system while also reducing the chances of your service being used in deanonymization attacks. It's also an important milestone as we are working on improving the mobile experience of Tor. Learn all about it here: https://blog.torproject.org/arti_1_3_0_memquota/
Arti 1.3.1 is released: onion services, RPC, relay development, and more -- December 3, 2024
New Release: Tails 6.10 -- November 28, 2024
New Alpha Release: Tor Browser 14.5a1 -- November 26, 2024
New Release: Tor Browser 14.0.3 -- November 26, 2024
Upcoming events
December 7, 2024 - Tor relay operator meetup
Our next online meetup is happening on Saturday, December 7th, 2024 at 1900 UTC
We're happy to announce that we'll have a special guest, Ben Collier, joining us to discuss his new book: "Tor: From the Dark Web to the Future of Privacy" 8 (2024).
For details on the agenda and how to join the meeting, please visit our forum: https://forum.torproject.org/t/tor-relays-next-tor-relay-operator-meetup-december-7th-2024-1900-utc/16043.
December 9, 2024 -- December 11, 2024 -- SplinterCon
Join us in Berlin on December 9-11, as we partner with the German Council on Foreign Relations to bring together a global network of innovators ready to challenge the increasing fragmentation of our digital society. We invite participants from around the world to contribute their knowledge, experience and skill to counter the growing trend of digital isolation, where national boundaries and corporate platforms restrict open communication.
The thematic focus of SplinterCon is on decentralized protocols and technologies, wireless connectivity solutions and innovative approaches to bypassing censorship systems.
Members of the Tor Project's Anti-censorship team will be in attendance: https://splintercon.net/berlin/
December 27, 2024 -- December 30, 2024 -- 38c3 (The 38th Chaos Communication Congress)
The 38th Chaos Communication Congress (38C3) takes place in Hamburg on 27--30 Dec 2024, and is the 2024 edition of the annual four-day conference on technology, society and utopia organized by the Chaos Computer Club (CCC) and volunteers.
Congress offers lectures and workshops and various events on a multitude of topics including (but not limited to) information technology and generally a critical-creative attitude towards technology and the discussion about the effects of technological advances on society.
Members of the Tor Project's Network, Network Health and Anti-censorship teams will be in attendance and speaking at the event: https://events.ccc.de/en/category/38c3/
Published on 2024-10-28
All donations to the Tor Project matched 1:1, now through Dec 31
Each year, the Tor Project holds a fundraiser during which we ask for financial support. Donations make it possible for the Tor Project to build tools powered by people---not profit. Now is a great time to give and spread the word about the Tor Project because through the end of the year, all donations will be matched by our supporters at Power Up Privacy.
That means when you donate $25, you're making a $50 impact. Plus, we've introduced a brand-new item to our list of gifts you can receive in return for making a donation. đź‘€
New Release: Tor Browser 14.0
Tor Browser 14.0 is now available from the Tor Browser download page and our distribution directory. The new release features a new 'New Circuit' option for Android, designed, to refresh your connection and legacy platforms support until March 2025.
This is our first stable release based on Firefox ESR 128, incorporating a year's worth of changes shipped upstream in Firefox. As part of this process we've also completed our annual ESR transition audit, where we reviewed and addressed over 200 Bugzilla issues for changes in Firefox that may negatively affect the privacy and security of Tor Browser users. Our final reports from this audit are now available in the tor-browser-spec repository on our Gitlab instance.
Upcoming events
State of the Onion 2024, November 2024
The State of the Onion is the Tor Project's annual virtual event from the Tor Project and the Tor community where we share updates about what have been working on. đź“ş Stream live on our YouTube channel
- November 13 will focus on the Tor Project and the organization's work.
- November 20 will focus on organizations in the Tor community and their work.
Devcon 2024, November 12, 2024 -- November 15, 2024
Devcon is the Ethereum conference for developers, thinkers, and makers. Devcon's mission is to bring decentralized protocols, tools, and culture to the people and make Ethereum more accessible around the world.
Roger Dingledine (Co-founder of the Tor Project) is a featured speaker at the event: "Discussing lessons from the Tor community and privacy-by-design."
No cON Name 2024 -- November 18, 2024
No cON Name is the oldest active hacking and IT security conference in Spain. Established in 1999, the first edition took place in Mallorca, and the event now continues in Barcelona. We are a non-profit association. Our events are open to anyone eager to share knowledge and engage with our vision of Hacking and IT Security (aka Cybersecurity).
meskio from Tor'S Anti-censorship Team will be attending and speaking at the event.
Human Rights Day, December 10, 2024
Every year on December 10, we celebrate the UN's adoption and proclamation of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) in 1948. The UDHR outlines privacy as one of the human rights everyone should be free to exercise.
đź“Ž Keep an eye on the blog and newsletter for event updates.
Event replay
Distribute(d) Trust -- The key to global encryption access
For many vulnerable Internet users, the Tor network is the only way to gain access to encrypted services. It's made possible by relay operators, the thousands of volunteers who donate their time, technical expertise, and hardware.
For a deeper look at the motivations and challenges of this community, we spoke with two researchers, Ana Custura and Victoria Neumann, who shared findings from their recent study on the Relay Operator Community Health. And Gus, Tor's Community Team lead, hosted a roundtable discussion with individual and institutional relay operators to learn more about the ins and outs of powering a safer, more equitable internet.
The virtual live event was part of Tor's contributions to Global Encryption Day. đź“ş Watch the event replay on YouTube
Keeping up with the latest releases
Published on 2024-08-01
Latest updates
New major release: Tor Browser 13.5
Tor Browser 13.5 is here bringing some major updates for Android and Desktop: from a revamped connection experience and a permanent home for Tor logs to improved bridge settings and a letterboxing redesign. Below are some of the highlights, and for more information, check out the official announcement on the Tor blog: https://blog.torproject.org/new-release-tor-browser-135/
What's new for Android?
New connection experience: While we await Connection Assist's arrival, we've completely overhauled Tor Browser for Android's connection screens with a new, "native" implementation, making it consistent with the desktop counterpart and its censorship circumvention experience.
A permanent home for Tor logs: Tor logs help us troubleshoot issues when they occur. We've now made it easier to share them with us: You can now easily find and copy Tor logs in the new “Connection Settings” section regardless of the connection status. We've also implemented a handy button you can use to copy all logs without needing to manually select text.
What's new for Desktop?
"Betterboxing": We've polished letterbox to improve the UX of Tor Browser's fingerprinting protections. Find a letterboxing section in General Settings with options to remember window size and adjust alignment.
Improved bridge settings: 13.5 comes with redesigned bridge cards, easier bridge sharing, and a new section to find or request more bridges–allowing users to retrieve bridges without needing to connect to Tor first.
Simplified onion site errors: For the last few years onion site errors have appeared different from other types of network errors in Tor Browser. We've now implemented a consistent design with other network errors to avoid confusion and create a smoother browsing experience when you encounter issues in the onionverse.
Vanguard support for Arti
We've recently announced that Arti now supports Vanguards as of version 1.2.2. This is an exciting step for Arti that gets us another step closer to bringing onion services on Arti into parity with the C tor implementation.
Why Vanguards? Guard discovery attacks can expose your guard relays, making traffic analysis easier and potentially leading to de-anonymization. First introduced in 2018 as an add-on to v3 onion services, Vanguards add an extra layer of defense by selecting specific relays for second and third hops, significantly increasing the cost for attackers.
Who is this for? If you're using Arti to connect to onion services or running an Arti onion service, this update is for you! Especially useful for long-running services. Vanguards are enabled by default in Arti 1.2.2 and later. Ensure you're running version 1.2.5 or newer for the best security.
Find out more in the release notes: https://blog.torproject.org/announcing-vanguards-for-arti/
Upcoming events
August 8-11, 2024: Tor @ DEF CON 32
Join us at DEF CON 32 – come by our booth, check out new Tor merch, and listen to our talk "Measuring the Tor network" on Saturday, August 10th at 3.00pm. Silvia Puglisi (Tor Project Network Health Lead) and Roger Dingledine (Tor Project Co-Founder and Original Developer) will discuss how Tor maintains a healthy network and community, detects and mitigates attacks–all with the help of metrics and usage patterns. For more info, visit: https://defcon.org/html/defcon-32/dc-32-speakers.html
August 16-18, 2024: 33rd Usenix Security Symposium
We've curated a list of papers we are especially excited about, including "Snowflake, a censorship circumvention system using temporary WebRTC proxies" by Cecylia Bocovich, Tor Project; Arlo Breault, Wikimedia Foundation; David Fifield and Serene, unaffiliated; Xiaokang Wang, Tor Project.
For the full list visit: blog.torproject.org/event/usenix-security-2024
August 21-23, 2024: Open Source Summit Hong Kong
https://blog.torproject.org/event/Open-Source-Summit-Hong-Kong/
Keeping up with the latest releases
July 10, 2024
New Release Tor Browser 13.5.1
June 11, 2024
New Alpha Release: Tor Browser 13.5a9
Ways to contribute
Donate to help keep Tor fast, strong, and secure. https://torproject.org/donate/donate-tn3-2023
Published on 2024-05-20
Latest updates
Tor migrates from Gitolite/GitWeb to GitLab
Attention all Tor contributors: We have migrated to a self-hosted GitLab server.
Despite initial security concerns, the community adopted GitLab resulting in the migration being largely a formality acknowledging the existing situation. Some critical repositories like Puppet were moved to dedicated servers, with GitLab serving as a mirror.
Learn more about how to update your Git config in our blog post: http://blog.torproject.org/gitolite-gitlab-migration/
Code audit for censorship circumvention tools completed by Cure53
From 2021 to present, the Tor Project has worked on the "Rapid Expansion of Access to the Uncensored Internet through Tor in China, Hong Kong, & Tibet" initiative, aiming to enhance Tor usage in the China region. The results included the releases of WebTunnel, Lox, RDSys, and Connection Assist, updating Open Source Circumvention Applications, and increasing adoption via regional localization and user engagement.
To ensure software reliability, the Tor Project engaged Cure53 for a comprehensive security audit in January 2024. As a result, all identified vulnerabilities stemming from recent modifications were successfully addressed.
To explore all audit results, you can download the full report here: https://blog.torproject.org/code-audit-censorship-circumvention-tools/
And learn more about Webtunnel in our announcement: https://blog.torproject.org/introducing-webtunnel-evading-censorship-by-hiding-in-plain-sight/
Surveillance as a Service: The Global Impact of Israeli "Defense" Technologies on Privacy and Human Rights
Highlighting, exposing, and actively working against the proliferation and normalization of surveillance technology is crucial in protecting human rights worldwide.
At the Tor Project, we know that it is through collective awareness and action that we can all build and contribute to privacy-preserving technologies that aim to protect people everywhere from the prevalence of surveillance and oppression. It is equally important to hold companies accountable and recognize the source and enablers of surveillance tech, especially now as we see these technologies being aggressively utilized in the ongoing genocide in Gaza.
This post delves into the impact of Israeli surveillance technologies in Palestine, illustrating how localized instances of its use can have extensive repercussions that pave the way for the widespread acceptance and global adoption of such oppressive practices: https://blog.torproject.org/surveillance-as-a-service-global-impact-of-israeli-defense-technologies-on-privacy-human-rights/
Upcoming events
May 25th, 2024
Join us for the Tor Community Day 2024 in Lisbon, Portugal
The Tor Project is happy to announce that we are hosting the Tor Community Day 2024 on May 25th in Lisbon, Portugal! The Community Day is a great opportunity for Tor Core Contributors, Tor Community Members, and other interested folks to come together, connect and discuss all things Tor. The Tor Community Day is free and open to the public. Anyone who wishes to join is welcome without any prior need to sign up. If you're in the area and curious about Tor, stop by!
June 4, 2024 - June 5, 2024
PDAF - Palestine Digital Activism Forum 2024
Members of the Tor Project will host a panel "Regulation & Legislation: Reigning in AI for Human Rights." Virtual attendance registration: https://pdaf.net
July 12, 2024 - July 14, 2024
HOPE XV
July 15, 2024 - July 20, 2024
24th Privacy Enhancing Technologies Symposium (PETS)
Keeping up with the latest releases
May 15, 2024
Security release: Arti 1.2.3. (Please upgrade.)
May 14, 2024
New Release: Tor Browser 13.0.15
April 30, 2024
New Alpha Release: Tor Browser 13.5a7
Ways to contribute
Donate to help keep Tor fast, strong, and secure. https://torproject.org/donate/donate-tn3-2023