Internet Censorship Course / Book Workshop
The Tor onion router is free, open-source software that enables anonymous communication over the Internet. It is designed to protect users’ privacy and security by routing their Internet traffic through a network of relays run by volunteers around the world.
The Tor network is made up of thousands of relays that are run by volunteers from all over the world. When a user connects to the Tor network, their traffic is encrypted and routed through multiple relays before it reaches its destination. This makes it difficult for anyone to trace the user’s activity or location. The Tor network also provides access to websites that are blocked by some ISPs or governments.
In this hands-on assignment, you will learn how to use Tor Browser to browse the internet anonymously. You will understand the importance of privacy and security while browsing the internet and how Tor Browser can help you achieve that.
Download the Tor Browser Bundle from the Tor Project website. Alternatively, you may use the Brave browser, which is based on the Chromium browser and has Tor built-in.
Launch the Tor Browser on your computer (or, alternatively, open a Tor browser window in Brave).
Explore the Tor Browser interface and understand the different options available.
Visit any website using the Tor Browser. You should also visit the same website using your regular browser (e.g., Chrome, Firefox, Brave). Compare the two experiences and note the differences.
Check your IP address before and after using Tor Browser. You can do this by visiting a website that displays your IP address, such as whatismyip.com. Compare the IP addresses before and after using Tor Browser. Note the differences, and understand why Tor Browser is an important tool for privacy and security.
Use the browser ``inspect’’ feature to understand the time it takes to load a website with and without Tor Browser. Note the differences, and understand how the Tor Browser contributes to increased latency (and decreased performance as compared to a regular browser).
Tor releases its software as a browser bundle so that users can use the tool simply by installing the bundle and opening the browser. One of the reasons the software is released in this fashion is to ensure that users are not exposed to elements on websites that may make it easier to re-identify or track them. For example, a website may use a browser fingerprinting technique to track users. In this technique, the website collects information about the user’s browser. To see these effects, visit the Tor Browser Fingerprinting Test with and without Tor Browser. Note the differences, and understand how Tor Browser protects users from browser fingerprinting.