Tor + Tails Tie the Knot

The big news was from the Tor Project, where they discussed that Tails OS is now merging into Tor's nonprofit organization. This merger has sparked a lot of discussions in the privacy community, and I want to understand what this means for users like you and me. As a massive fan of the Tor Project and Tails OS, I see this as a significant step forward in enhancing operational efficiency and expanding outreach. However, I also believe it’s crucial to approach this news with a healthy dose of skepticism. The origins of Tor are well-documented, and while the merger is framed positively, we must critically assess its implications for user privacy and autonomy.

Tails OS, the Amnesiac Incognito Live System, has a rich history of providing robust privacy solutions. It was born from the merger of two projects focused on privacy and security, and it has become a vital tool for individuals needing to operate securely in high-risk environments. The fact that Tails gained global attention during Edward Snowden's whistleblowing activities speaks volumes about its effectiveness in protecting users from state surveillance.

However, with the merger, legitimate concerns exist regarding the potential centralization of privacy tools. The Tor Project has historically relied on government funding, which raises questions about conflicts of interest and the potential for external pressures to compromise user privacy. The LavaBit example is a cautionary tale, highlighting the risks of centralizing critical privacy tools under one organization.

Despite these concerns, the merger could also lead to more cohesive training programs for users, ensuring they are equipped with network and system-level security knowledge. This is essential in today’s surveillance-heavy landscape, where understanding digital privacy is more important than ever.

In conclusion, while I am optimistic about the merger, I believe it’s essential to remain vigilant and consider the potential risks involved. I encourage you to share your thoughts in the comments below, whether you have a pessimistic or optimistic viewpoint. Your insights are invaluable, and together we can navigate this evolving digital privacy landscape.

☆-----☆-----☆-----☆-----☆ CHAPTERS ☆-----☆-----☆-----☆-----☆

00:00 - Introduction
00:22 - The Merger of Tails OS and Tor Project
02:36 - Tails OS Background
07:17 - Tails and Tor Project's Relationship
08:32 - The Importance of Tails in the Privacy Ecosystem
10:45 - Potential Concerns about the Merger
14:53 - The Benefits of the Merger
15:26 - Conclusion

#torproject #tor #tailsos #tails

☆-----☆-----☆-----☆-----☆ LEGAL STUFF☆-----☆-----☆-----☆-----☆

The information provided in this video is intended for educational purposes only. It is not intended to be legal or professional advice, and should not be relied upon as such.

By watching this video, you acknowledge that you understand and agree to these terms. If you do not agree to these terms, do not watch this video.

[DigitalNomadInvestor]

Conceptually, the more you centralize something, the more vulnerable to attack it is.

[EzekielHortenseMiller]

Former DARPA departmental engineering manager - there seems to be a lot of confusion about TOR and TAILS. TOR and TAILS were both IARPA projects created for the CIA by the CIA so assests could communicate with another assets within the borders of hostile state actors. I have heard and read all sorts of origin stories but I am unsure where they keep coming from. Anyway, my point is that TOR and TAILS are not compromised, the government isn't going to kill itself. I wrote all that after reading all the comments "centralization is not good for privacy" and so forth. Again, the government is not going to intentionally compromise these security of its own operations. Just because something is a not for profit doesn't mean its a civilian project. The majority of DARPA and IRAPA projects start or always are run through not for profit companies because they are essentially scientific research rapid protyping projects. Anyway, hope that clears some things up.

[JonMurray]

Thanks man. I’m really not experienced enough on either to make any kind of useful contribution on the positives or negatives of the merger but I trust your opinion. I do have Tails and have used it a few times so it’ll be good to see how they integrate them. Like you say, the guides for using both together will be great.

[bionborys]

Goodbye Tails. Nobody really thinks this improves anything, it's another govt step into controlling all data. Reality is that anoymity and privacy are almost completely gone.

[noanyobiseniss]

centralization is NEVER good for privacy.

[paxdriver]

To me, the merger means a single point of failure if management turns bad. It then ruins two critical projects. This is a case where inefficient is still better so long as both projects are successful on their own.

I don't think they're doing bad at all right now, but the risk of crapping the bed just doubled.

[Jakob.Hamburg]

Thank you for the insights and explanations.

[hbsvideo]

Hi, at 6:10 it's Bruce Schneier, not Schneider. Like your vids, keep the good work

[mx]

I think this merger really is largely a good thing, giving Tails even more resources, and unless you're just browsing a few edgy blogs and fake websites on Tor, you really should use either Tails or Whonix, so those two naturally go together. I am hoping the Tor project will make Tails even more accessible to more users.
Your argument that centralisation is worrisome, because of compromise is valid with an organisation like Proton, who don't always work fully in the open, and host central servers.
The Tor project however works very much in the open, with a lot of eyes on their code, especially because they receive so much government funding. But the Tor projects only distributes binaries, and even then you don't have to trust them, as you can audit the code and build the binaries yourself.
With open source projects I welcome centralisation for that reason, as it is a lot more easy for threat actors to compromise a little open source project like XZ, than it is for them to compromise Red Hat, or the SystemD committee. Any of these small projects being compromised, could lead to your whole system being compromised.

[xanaxity]

Question (hope you reply): How do TOR client/browser finds the actual web page of the TOR hidden service when there's no DNS or anything that contains list of said hidden service? I know dumb question.

[realcoy]

Ill just stick to using the legendary Temple OS. Can only speak to me through God, thanks 🙏.

[victorygarden]

I don’t do tech but I do tactical, and if you ever conjoin things so I can monitor what was two separate things via one surveillance task instead of two, that is a mistake. Bloating the need for surveillance assets or bloating my span of attention with another task is good.

[konstantinosalvertos]

I am not that crazy about this merge.... my humble opinion would be if they are separated we have a degree of separation between the network and the OS that we use. Tails is designed beautifully and Tor itself (especially considering it is designed by the US Military... Navy I think?) is not some thing those two should be under the same roof.... co-exist definitely! but managed by one entity? Sounds like a possible risk.

[nol_yaw]

Sam i love what you do keep up the good work man... by the way what kind of watch do you wear? i need to get me one

[CybRonin]

Tails already comes with Tor as the default browser so I don't see much change so long as they alter the basic structure of each.

[Shadeamous]

a linux OS made by tails the fox from sonic?

[ShaquilleMagnusson]

I really appreciate your efforts! Just a quick off-topic question: I have a SafePal wallet with USDT, and I have the seed phrase. (alarm fetch churn bridge exercise tape speak race clerk couch crater letter). Could you explain how to move them to Binance?

[gwky]

Operational paranoia - always assume you’re under surveillance

Feds just want to introduce more 0 days and “bugs” that “accidentally” negate the amnestic design of tails so when they raid you they can nab all that good shit 😂

[TheWakeupandsk]

Complete doomer pessimism: They decide to become a for-profit project and charge a subscription fee

Optimistic: This will combine some of the greatest minds of privacy advocates and push the cause further, possibly influencing the US to pass privacy laws like the EU has.

[TevynSmith]

What do you use? Is duck duck go good?