In the public mind, the Tor network is typified by black market sites that law enforcement agencies attempt to locate and shut down. The reality, however, is rather more complex than those narratives. Our infographic reveals the secret history of Tor and finds that the U.S. government sits at the heart of this dark web.
What Tor offers is, in itself, far from criminal. An anonymous and private online experience is of value to many people including:
– Parents seeking to protect their children from predators
– Citizens of countries where censorship restricts internet access
– Anyone accessing sensitive, personal information
– Freedom fighters, whistle-blowers and journalists protecting themselves and their sources
– Government agents handling classified information
– Criminals seeking to deal in illegal goods or services
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Where did the Tor network come from, and who was it intended to serve?
Its history does not take us into organised crime but right into the heart of the US government. Last year, 93% of Tor’s funding came from US government sources, and the paper trail leads all the way back to the US Naval Research Lab’s (NRL) investigation into ‘onion routing’ in 1995.
Follow our paper trail into the secret history of Tor.
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