The second is Tor’s privacy-maximising browser.

These sites require an onion address and their servers’ physical locations are hidden from users. These are the websites, or “onion services”, hosted on the Tor network. Tor is an overlay network that exists “on top” of the internet and merges two technologies. The Tor Project’s developers have acknowledged the potential to misuse the service which, when combined with technologies such as untraceable cryptocurrency, can help hide criminals. The Tor Project was initially developed by the US Navy to protect online intelligence communications, before its code was publicly released in 2002. Online privacy advocates including Edward Snowden have championed the benefits of such platforms, claiming they protect free speech, freedom of thought and civil rights. The open-source network and browser grants users anonymity by encrypting their information and letting them escape tracking by internet service providers. Tor is by far the largest and presents the biggest conundrum. There are currently a few platforms offering anonymous internet access, including i2p, FreeNet and Tor. This material is largely hosted on the anonymous part of the internet - the “darknet” - where perpetrators can share it with little fear of prosecution. And according to reports, it has only become more prevalent during the COVID-19 pandemic. Child sexual abuse material is rampant online, despite considerable efforts by big tech companies and governments to curb it.

Tor porn search