Many of us know about Tor, but there are only few who know what it is and how it works. Many believe that Tor is illegal to use while a number of people are using Tor to keep their identity anonymous while browsing through the web. Tor is the abbreviation to the ‘The Onion Router’. It is a network of servers that was initially developed by the US army to help people browse through the internet anonymously.
Tor is now used as a privacy tool that protects your identity while you browse through the internet. Tor moves your traffic through different encrypted servers making it impossible to track you. Anyone trying to track you will only see the traffic coming different sources rather than your computer.
Is it Illegal to Use Tor Network?
Though Tor is not illegal to use, still, if you are using it to access the dark web or a content that is banned in your country then you are a part of illegal activity. So, your usage of Tor decides whether it’s illegal to use Tor or not. However, Tor can be used to access the deep web data for research purposes. The best advantage is that no one can ever find what actually you are doing on the internet.
All you have to do is download the Tor browser and install it on your device. It comes with pre-configured settings, just ensure than you have disabled the JavaScript option on the browser. If your internet speed is slow, Tor sucks. Tor is a bit slow in processing and slow internet speed adds to it.
Facts to Know About Tor
- Tor hides the identity of the users with the technique called ‘Hopping’. This technique is responsible for hiding your identity worldwide and encrypts your traffic as well.
- You can browse the onion websites on Tor that are not accessible on normal web browsers like Chrome, Firefox, Safari etc.
- 30% of people around the globe use Tor to access the dark web.
- You can volunteer your computer system to be the part of Tor Network.
- Tor can run on almost every operating system, but works fabulously well on Linux systems.
The Poor Side of Tor
Just like anything else in the world, Tor also has a poor side. Tor allows the users to access illegal content as well such as geo-restricted videos, dark web websites, and other stuff on the web. Moreover, due to relay servers, the speed of data transfer is much slower than expected. You need to keep patience while using Tor on your system.
The End Note
Tor is one of the best browsers to access the deep web content while preserving your online identity. It can be downloaded from its official website and that too free of cost. So, if you are looking to browse the web anonymously, Tor browser can turn out to be the best option. Using Tor is totally legal unless you are using it for illegal purposes.
