Tor lays off staff as privacy takes another coronavirus-induced hit

When it comes to the casualties of the pandemic, your first thought might not be of your ability to anonymously view porn. And yet.

The non-profit Tor Project announced Friday that it was forced to lay off a sizable chunk of its team responsible for the privacy-preserving Tor browser. As the coronavirus ravages citizens' lives and the world economy, decimating industries as diverse as hospitality, education, the performing arts, and the news media, an unlikely victim may end up being your ability to anonymously browse the web. 

Unlike typical browsers — Chrome, say, or Firefox — Tor works by encrypting and routing your traffic through so-called relays. This obscures both the source (your IP address) and destination (the website you're viewing) from the scores of third parties that would otherwise be able to witness and record that activity.  Read more...