Incredible news about the Tor Project, which is supposed to protect our anonymity on the internet. Until today, we thought that Tor was one of the few tools left for hiding the location and identity of the one who uses it.
According to a publication by the Washington Post , the US Department of Defense (the NSA belongs to this Department) provides most of the funding used by the Tor Project for its development.
The Department of Defense is responsible for covering 40% of the Tor Project's budget in 2012. The US State Department and other government agencies contribute a total of 60% of the funding.
The Tor Project claims that funding comes from government departments that need security.
“The parts of the US and Swedish governments that fund us through contracts want to have strong protections for privacy and anonymity online,” said Tor executive director Andrew Lewman. “Don’t assume that the government is a coherent entity, or that we have adopted their way of thinking.”
But in light of the latest revelations that the NSA is collaborating with most, if not all, major security software manufacturers, they justify any suspicion.
Ultimately, there is nothing left to protect someone who does not have the knowledge to protect themselves online. But even those who do have the knowledge should re-evaluate which software they trust with the security of their privacy.
