For Tor, Publicity a Mixed Blessing

The Tor network has several functions, all aimed at providing near-anonymous network communications.

Individuals can use it for communication that hides the identity of the participants. Similarly, it supports the creation of “hidden service” sites or services, such as web pages, which can only be reached through the Tor network. In both cases, network traffic is encrypted and routed through a number of relay points maintained by volunteers, thus hiding participants’ geographic locations and identities.

While not a perfect means of anonymity, it has become widely used by journalists communicating with sources, human rights activists, and dissidents in war-torn areas such as Syria. Indeed, the group’s yearly developer meeting in Munich this year was attended by a Syrian woman who said the system had helped her family in Homs communicate with each other and stay alive.

http://www.wired.com/threatlevel/2013/12/tor-publicity-mixed-blessing/