Twitter is creating a Tor onion service, which will optimize the site for the privacy-protecting and censorship-avoiding network. Alec Muffett, a software programmer, shared the news on Twitter today, calling it “probably the most significant and long-awaited tweet I’ve ever composed.” Tor has also been added to Twitter’s list of supported browsers.
When using Tor Browser or a similar tool, you can access Twitter’s onion service at https://twitter3e4tixl4xyajtrzo62zg5vztmjuricljdp2c5kshju4avyoid.onion. While you could already use Tor to view Twitter’s regular website, the newly unveiled version adds further levels of security to the already anonymous browsing experience and is tailored to the network.
“It’s a promise from the platform to treat people who use Tor fairly,” “Creating an onion address is a practical move that proves that the platform is expressly catering to Tor users’ demands.”
Hidden services or “dark web” services are terms used to describe onion services, but the latter term usually refers to clearly illicit sites like the Silk Road drug market. The DuckDuckGo search engine, as well as news outlets including The New York Times, the BBC, and ProPublica, all have Tor-specific versions. Tor is also used by tools like SecureDrop, and other sites utilize to accept secure content.
Since 2014, Muffett, who works with businesses to deploy onion sites, has been considering the idea of a Tor-friendly Twitter. That’s when Facebook established its own hidden service, ostensibly to address major operational concerns for Tor users who were frequently mistakenly identified as botnets. In 2016, Facebook said that a million people per month used Tor to access the normal site or onion service.
“IT’S THE PLATFORM’S COMMITMENT TO DEALING WITH THE PEOPLE WHO USE TOR”
To hide identifying information about users, Tor encrypts web data and routes it through a number of servers. It’s a popular technique to access censored websites, and it’s become even more essential since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in February, which prompted a Russian crackdown on Twitter, Facebook, and independent news services. Some internet service providers started filtering Tor in December 2021, but the Tor Project told Vice today that the extent of censorship has varied, and Russian users can still connect via a Tor bridge.
However, Twitter’s onion service has been under development for much longer and offers benefits beyond simply accessing a prohibited network. It requires individuals to utilize Tor’s network because it doesn’t operate with regular browsers and protects them from some of the security dangers that standard web addresses bring. “If you’re using Tor Browser and click [or] type in the precise onion address, you’ll be connected to exactly what you anticipate — or nothing at all,” Muffett continues.
Having a separate access path also makes it easier for platforms like Facebook and Twitter to monitor criminal activity that uses Tor (such as automated scraping or site attacks) without restricting or diminishing service for legitimate users. Even if the majority of users don’t use Tor to access Twitter, it’s a step forward for those who do — and a step toward wider acceptance of the system.
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Eirik Larsen, a writer who is passionate about using the power of the written word to create change and make a difference. I believe that writing is not just about expressing oneself, but about using words to inspire others and to make a positive impact on the world. I strive to create stories that are both impactful and meaningful, that inspire readers to take action and to make a difference. I believe that writing has the power to change the world, and I am honored to be a part of that tradition.
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