Episode 4 (2024) Victoria Neumann and Ana Custura: What does it mean to be part of a network? From silent contributor to engaged activist: the volunteer relay operators behind the Tor Project

Who is operating the Tor network, and why? Victoria Neumann from
Lancaster University tells us.

Tor (acronym for The Onion Router) is one of the most famous
projects focusing on online privacy and anonymity. Using the Tor
Browser, one can access clear net websites without being tracked
or traced or so-called "onion services (formerly hidden
services)," which can only be accessed via the Tor network.
Nowadays widely known for darknet marketplaces, it is also used
by journalists, human rights and digital activists, spies,
hackers, and ordinary people to circumvent state surveillance,
internet blockades and to stay anonymous. 


Originating from military research, the Tor Project is non-profit
and open source after being taken over by hacktivists in the in
the early 00s. Today the network has 6,000+ volunteer-run nodes
called "relays." When the network began, relay operators were
friends, colleagues, and collaborators of the original Tor
developers. Over the years, grown beyond trusted/known
collaborators to thousands of people and organizations, many of
whom the Tor Project does not know. This has led both to a more
diverse and hence resilient network, but it also made it easier
for malicious actors to join. 


Who are the volunteers behind the network and what motivates
them? Very little research has been conducted so far focusing on
Tor relay operators. We conducted two surveys and 20 interviews
to find out more about demographics, privacy values, trust,
network health and community.

This episode is a live recording from Hacker Cultures! The
Podcast Panel Season 3 panel organized at the European
Association for the study of Science and Technology and Society
for Social Studies of Science EASST/4S 2024
conference in Amsterdam on 2024-07-16. The hosts are Paula
Bialski, Andreas Bischof and Mace Ojala. Audio production by
Heights Beats at Hotmilk Records, who also produced the theme
track. We are grateful for Chemnitz University of Technology for
funding.