The story of Tor, a project that began as a military initiative, has become synonymous with online anonymity and privacy. But how did it come to be? The journey of Tor’s development is a fascinating tale of collaboration between hackers, scientists, and the US Navy.
In the 1990s, the internet was in its early stages, and concerns about security and surveillance were growing. A group of radical hackers known as cypherpunks emerged, advocating for encryption and anonymity online. Meanwhile, the US Navy’s Naval Research Laboratory (NRL) was working on a project to secure military communications.
The NRL researchers, led by David Goldschlag, Mike Reed, and Paul Syverson, were tasked with creating a system that could protect internet traffic from being intercepted. They drew inspiration from onion routing, a concept that had been explored in the 1970s but never implemented on a large scale. Onion routing involves encrypting data multiple times, making it difficult to trace the origin or destination of the message.
The NRL researchers developed onion routing as a solution to this problem. However, they soon realized that it couldn’t be used by the military alone due to its reliance on public participation and anonymity. They therefore partnered with the cypherpunk community to develop a system that could be used by everyone, not just the military.
This unlikely alliance between hackers and scientists resulted in the creation of Tor. The name “Tor” was chosen because it represented the idea of multiple layers of protection, or an “onion.” The system quickly gained popularity among those seeking online anonymity, including activists, journalists, and individuals living under authoritarian regimes.
Today, Tor is used by millions worldwide to protect their online privacy and security. Despite its origins in military research, Tor has become a symbol of resistance against mass surveillance and government overreach. Its development highlights the complex relationships between technology, politics, and society, demonstrating that even seemingly opposing groups can come together to create something new and powerful.
As we move forward in an increasingly digital world, understanding the history and evolution of projects like Tor is essential for navigating the complexities of online privacy and security. By examining the origins of these technologies, we can gain insights into the social and cultural forces that shape our digital experiences.
Source: https://thereader.mitpress.mit.edu/the-secret-history-of-tor-how-a-military-project-became-a-lifeline-for-privacy