#+title:      Tor browser
#+date:       [2023-05-26 ven. 04:04]
#+filetags:   :privacy:tor:
#+identifier: 20230526T040449

Tor is amazing, it's basically the only efficient anonymity tool. [[denote:20230526T040629][VPNs]] on the other hand are an authentication technology and can't be safely used for anonymity. Their authentication mechanisms are useful for billing, but make any actual anonymity impossible.

Tor protects against both personal and political [[denote:20230526T041257][threat models]]. For example, if Alice uses the Tor browser to read documents (which make most of the web) with Javascript disabled, she will protect activists against targeted surveillance by letting them hide into the crowd, but it will also cover her when she will download scientific articles through Sci-Hub illegally.

A good Tor workflow is to use it with Javascript disabled to browse documents, so it minimizes the browser fingerprint (you may test it with [[https://coveryourtracks.eff.org][Cover your tracks]]), while keeping using a regular browser like Librewolf or GNU Icecat to authenticate into web programs, like Mastodon. It will allow enough flexibility to log in to services that may ban the Tor network (technically they're banning Tor exit nodes but it doesn't really matter here).

There are also various Tor programs like OnionShare, [[https://cwtch.im][Cwtch]], and [[https://briarproject.org][Briar]] which are really exciting because it would be impossible to tell which program you'd be using without compromising your computer itself (which is something that ChatControl is trying to do).