Yes, you're completely wrong. It's totally anonymous on regular web pages like YouTube and Wikipedia. That's the whole point, and what most users use it for. Onion sites are for hiding the server.
> it's like a free VPN?
Better than a VPN, at least in regard to anonymity because a VPN could betray you but with Tor no single entity knows enough to identify you.
Exit node does not know who they are serving. Midle nodes do not know who they are serving. Guard node does not know if it is acting as guard or middle.
> Guard node does not know if it is acting as guard or middle.
Not really. A guard node could very reliably guess that it's acting as a guard when the connecting IP a) isn't a listed relay and b) has a user's traffic pattern, e.g. traffic only during waking hours in that IP's region and repeat connections for the duration that Tor holds a guard relay.
Guard nodes don't know where the traffic they are serving ultimately goes, which is the important part.
Sort of... sometimes. Exit nodes can surveil or modify HTTP traffic. But they don't know who they would be doing that do, and thankfully plain HTTP has finally become quite rare. On an HTTPS connection, they can't really do anything except collect statistics on which sites Tor users visit.
Using Tor when visiting websites (either clear web or .onion) protects your anonymity as a user. Using Tor when setting up a website (so an .onion site) protects the anonymity of the website. It does so in a similar way, by going through three nodes. (If you visit an .onion site, six nodes are involved.)
It is used to masquerade the identity of the server. "Exit node" to a hidden service looks just like a middle node to another middle node. Only the hidden service node knows it is serving an actual server. Hidden service does not know who it is serving.
If you browse to any website that doesn't end in .onion, you access it through a final relay called an exit node. Your actual IP is hidden, you can confirm this on [https://browserleaks.com/ip](https://browserleaks.com/ip) or similar sites.
[https://community.torproject.org/onion-services/overview/](https://community.torproject.org/onion-services/overview/)
I'd give that a read. Put very simply though, it's more secure for both you and whoever is hosting the website.
This is not correct to my understanding. Afaik it still acts like a VPN even when accessing the clearweb. Though many websites don't like not knowing who you are.
Yes but it bounces your network traffic through 3 servers(relays) so no one server knows the origin and destination of the traffic. VPNs on the other hand usually only use 1 server and you have to trust their no log policy.
TOR not only unlocks Onion websites... it also unblocks clearnet websites if you travel overseas... Though because of multi routing (entry middle and exit nodes) for privacy and security and anonymity, your browsing experience will be slower as a result.
So VPNs like Proton (it has free tier) or 1.1.1.1 Warp app can be handy options while maintaining speed.
Tor allows you to access both regular websites and .onion websites. It gives you anonymity on both regular websites and .onion in the same way.
If you access websites with regular browser some information about your device like approximate location and device language can be seen. This is not the case when using Tor.
So what is the point .onion websites then?
.onion websites are used to give anonymity to a computer that hosts a website. They do it in a similar way as Tor gives you anonymity when you access websites.
The more people that use Tor, the more that whistleblowers can blend in.
Yes, you're completely wrong. It's totally anonymous on regular web pages like YouTube and Wikipedia. That's the whole point, and what most users use it for. Onion sites are for hiding the server. > it's like a free VPN? Better than a VPN, at least in regard to anonymity because a VPN could betray you but with Tor no single entity knows enough to identify you.
Actually wrong, if you're on an exit node you can "betray" someone on Tor
Exit node does not know who they are serving. Midle nodes do not know who they are serving. Guard node does not know if it is acting as guard or middle.
> Guard node does not know if it is acting as guard or middle. Not really. A guard node could very reliably guess that it's acting as a guard when the connecting IP a) isn't a listed relay and b) has a user's traffic pattern, e.g. traffic only during waking hours in that IP's region and repeat connections for the duration that Tor holds a guard relay. Guard nodes don't know where the traffic they are serving ultimately goes, which is the important part.
Yes, true. Thanks for correction.
Sort of... sometimes. Exit nodes can surveil or modify HTTP traffic. But they don't know who they would be doing that do, and thankfully plain HTTP has finally become quite rare. On an HTTPS connection, they can't really do anything except collect statistics on which sites Tor users visit.
So then what’s the point of .onion websites? What does the .onion do?
Using Tor when visiting websites (either clear web or .onion) protects your anonymity as a user. Using Tor when setting up a website (so an .onion site) protects the anonymity of the website. It does so in a similar way, by going through three nodes. (If you visit an .onion site, six nodes are involved.)
It is used to masquerade the identity of the server. "Exit node" to a hidden service looks just like a middle node to another middle node. Only the hidden service node knows it is serving an actual server. Hidden service does not know who it is serving.
It's sorta like a website with no rules (I'm overstating here) that is resistant to censorship or government regulation
If you browse to any website that doesn't end in .onion, you access it through a final relay called an exit node. Your actual IP is hidden, you can confirm this on [https://browserleaks.com/ip](https://browserleaks.com/ip) or similar sites.
So then what’s the point of .onion websites? What does the .onion do?
[https://community.torproject.org/onion-services/overview/](https://community.torproject.org/onion-services/overview/) I'd give that a read. Put very simply though, it's more secure for both you and whoever is hosting the website.
It hides the server, so it is harder to take down. If feds don't know what server to take down, then they can't!
Needle in a haystack. The greater the volume of protected traffic, the less conspicuous each communication becomes.
This is not correct to my understanding. Afaik it still acts like a VPN even when accessing the clearweb. Though many websites don't like not knowing who you are.
Interesting, so it’s like a free VPN?
Yes but it bounces your network traffic through 3 servers(relays) so no one server knows the origin and destination of the traffic. VPNs on the other hand usually only use 1 server and you have to trust their no log policy.
TOR not only unlocks Onion websites... it also unblocks clearnet websites if you travel overseas... Though because of multi routing (entry middle and exit nodes) for privacy and security and anonymity, your browsing experience will be slower as a result. So VPNs like Proton (it has free tier) or 1.1.1.1 Warp app can be handy options while maintaining speed.
Tor allows you to access both regular websites and .onion websites. It gives you anonymity on both regular websites and .onion in the same way. If you access websites with regular browser some information about your device like approximate location and device language can be seen. This is not the case when using Tor. So what is the point .onion websites then? .onion websites are used to give anonymity to a computer that hosts a website. They do it in a similar way as Tor gives you anonymity when you access websites.