Nonprofit developing free and open-source software for anonymous communication. Operates the Tor network used by journalists, activists, and privacy-conscious users worldwide. Originally developed at the US Naval Research Laboratory.
In 2024, the Tails privacy-focused operating system merged its operations with the Tor Project. Tails, which routes all internet traffic through Tor by default, had been a standalone project since 2009. The merger consolidated two key privacy infrastructure projects under one organizational umbrella, strengthening both.
The Tor Project historically received over 80% of its funding from US government sources including the Department of Defense, State Department, and National Science Foundation. This created tensions given Tor's role as a privacy tool. By the mid-2020s, Tor diversified its funding to reduce government dependency to under 50% through individual donations, foundation grants, and Mozilla support.
In 2016, multiple people publicly accused Tor developer Jacob Appelbaum of sexual harassment and assault. The Tor Project conducted an investigation, terminated Appelbaum, and subsequently replaced its entire board of directors. The organization implemented new governance structures and a code of conduct to prevent similar issues.
In 2015, it was revealed that Carnegie Mellon University researchers had been paid at least $1 million by the FBI to develop and execute an attack on the Tor network to deanonymize users. The Tor Project disclosed that CMU researchers had exploited a vulnerability in 2014 to identify users. This raised major ethical questions about academic institutions attacking privacy infrastructure.