What is Tor?
Tor is a free, open-source communication software that can mask the user's identity and private information. The name is an abbreviation of The Onion Router.
Like layers of an onion, Tor also has multiple layers of encryption. It was originally designed by the U.S. Naval Research Laboratory and has been receiving funding from the U.S. State Department.
How does Tor conceal a user's location and identity?
Simply put, this software transmits data to the Internet through a complex loop, with several "nodes" on this loop, namely personal computers and servers that voluntarily act as connection points.
The data is encrypted at each step along this chain, making it very difficult to track a user's online activity.
From the perspective of the website that ultimately receives the instruction data, this data comes from the last computer on the loop link, also known as the "exit point," rather than from the internet user.
Besides allowing users to anonymously log in to regular websites, Tor can also be used to host hidden URLs with the .onion suffix.
BBC News on the Dark Web
To avoid content censorship and blocking, the BBC's international news website is also launched on Tor.
The BBC statement said: "In countries where BBC News is blocked or restricted, audiences can now access news from BBC World Service through the Tor network. This aligns with BBC World Service's mission to provide trusted news globally."
In areas where access to the domestic and international versions of BBC News is unavailable , users can access a new dark web mirror: https://www.bbcnewsv2vjtpsuy.onion/. This mirror page is inaccessible with regular browsers.
The BBC News mirror page on the dark web displays the international version, which includes Arabic, Persian, and Russian pages in addition to English.
Due to broadcasting restrictions, content and services limited to the UK, such as BBC iPlayer, will not be placed on dark web mirror pages.
Currently, countries such as China, Iran, and Vietnam have imposed restrictions on BBC News and its television programs.
Malicious abuse
To date, Tor users include military personnel, law enforcement officers, journalists, and ordinary members of the public who wish to browse the internet anonymously.
As a powerful tool, it can be used to circumvent cyber police and government censorship, but it is also likely to be used for criminal activities such as drug trafficking, illegal drugs, gun sales, and cybercrime, such as stealing digital currency.
Just as water can carry a boat, it can also capsize it. Tor's advantages have also been maliciously abused, with criminals attempting to use it to sell guns, illegal drugs, or other contraband.
Recent reports have indicated that hackers have successfully stolen large amounts of cryptocurrency from unsuspecting users by manipulating the Tor browser.
Like other tools, Tor's confidentiality has been used for malicious purposes and activities; the dark web also hosts various drug trafficking, child abuse video sharing, and other criminal activities, as well as a wide variety of other content that cannot be found on ordinary search engines.
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