It’s currently used by approximately 1.5 million people around the world. It might be considered a more secure, customized version of the popular web browser.Īlthough the technology used to power this network has been around for a while, the protocol was developed at the US Naval Research Laboratory in the mid-90s the network was launched in 2004. It’s both a non-profit network and a browser, and it’s built using the same open-source protocol as Mozilla Firefox. TOR is an acronym for The Onion Router project, so named because it sends IP requests through layers of encrypted relay servers. What is The Onion Router?īefore you can get anything out of our guide to using TOR, it’s important to understand what it is and what it does. If you’re concerned about data privacy and internet safety, this is a good place to start. The purpose of this guide to using TOR is to provide an overview of what it truly is, how it works, and why a platform like this is necessary. However, the average internet user has only ever heard of this network as a shadowy platform that allows users to access the dark side of the web, where hackers and criminals lurk around every corner. For years, those who need to maintain anonymity on the net have used The Onion Router (TOR) network and browser.

How to configure tor browser for mac