Why you should not only use the network, but also support it:
The internet should be a place of freedom — a space where you can inform yourself, communicate, and express your opinion without being constantly watched or controlled. Unfortunately, the reality looks quite different: surveillance, data collection, censorship. That’s where TOR comes in — the “The Onion Router” network. And no, it’s not just for hackers or whistleblowers. TOR is for anyone who wants to protect their privacy online.
🔐 TOR Is Not a Hiding Place for Criminals — It’s a Shield for Citizens
TOR often has a bad reputation because it’s associated with the so-called “dark web.” But that image is misleading. TOR was not created for illegal purposes — it was developed as a tool for ordinary citizens who want to keep their online activity private.
Whether you want to browse anonymously, avoid being tracked by advertisers, or bypass censorship in authoritarian regimes — TOR gives you the ability to move through the internet securely and without being watched.
🕵️♂️ Snowden, Assange, and the Reality of Mass Surveillance
You may remember Edward Snowden, who revealed in 2013 how extensively the NSA and other intelligence agencies are monitoring people around the world. Or Julian Assange, who, through WikiLeaks, published confidential documents exposing war crimes and corruption.
Both men used secure, anonymous communication methods — including TOR — to protect their sources and themselves. Without such tools, many of these truths would have remained hidden. TOR is not just a piece of software — it’s a symbol of transparency, accountability, and freedom of information.
⚙️ How You Can Support TOR — By Running a Relay
TOR relies on its users to stay strong. Especially important are Middle Relays — the servers that forward encrypted traffic through the network. The more of these relays exist, the faster, more stable, and more secure the entire system becomes.
The good news: Running a relay is technically simple, inexpensive, and has a big impact — for you and for millions of users around the globe.
I have provided a corresponding tutorial for your own Linux server here for free:
🧭 Digital Freedom Is Not a Given
Data retention laws, chat control, constant tracking — these are not just buzzwords. They represent real threats to civil liberties. Both governments and corporations are collecting data at a scale that would have seemed impossible just a few years ago.
Privacy is not a luxury — it is a fundamental digital right. And now, more than ever, it needs to be defended.
✅ Conclusion
TOR is not a criminal hiding place, but a protective tool for free speech, journalism, and digital self-determination.
If you use TOR, you protect your own data.
If you actively support TOR, for example by running a relay, you help make the internet a freer and safer place — for everyone.
Real freedom begins with digital responsibility — and that’s in your hands.
More Information: https://www.torproject.org/