Comment by oconnore a day ago
> Could someone like the NSA with limitless resources do it? Quite probably, sure.
If you're not worried about a fairly well-resourced government agency uncovering whatever network activity you believe needs to be anonymized, why would you be using Tor at all?
Those second and third points are pretty laughably paranoid-fantasy reasons to use Tor—even if one found oneself in either situation.
Respectfully, a large number of people rightfully fear for their lives, safety, and freedom due to being stalked or abused by a current or former partner. I have personally known several.
Using victims' devices and communications in order to locate, and then harass, trap, or attack them, is commonplace for stalkers.
If you can use victim's device, then Tor or any network level protection will not help you. If you can use their network, then just about everything uses https these days... and you still need to know their location to snoop in the first place. GP raised a good point of Tor not helping in those two cases.
Those are situations that people deal with, but suggesting they use Tor is not going to help them. (Apart from some very specific situations)
How many of these people are justified (by evidence, not merely paranoia) in thinking that Tor would circumvent whatever communications interception may or may not have been put in place?
And of those people, how many people have ever even heard of Tor, let alone know how to use it?
tor-browser comes with other privacy-boosting features, beyond its method of talking to the network. That might make a difference too, if someone is likely to look at your browser history etc.
The second to last point is laughable since it's long been authorized in executive order that if the NSA stumbles upon information relating to criminal activity while searching for other stuff that they can report that info to the FBI.
Heck - FBI is allowed to do the same damn thing with the data they're given by the NSA. Y'know, the whole "backdoor search loophole" which amounts to laundering authorities across agencies to get access to data they wouldn't otherwise be permitted to have.
>If you’re sharing CSAM or planning terrorist attacks, it might be different.
They'll just employ parallel construction to avoid exposure.
Because you're an enemy of the Iranian, Saudi, North Korean, etc. gov't.
Because your ex-spouse wants to murder you.
Because you just escaped Scientology, or another cult.
Because you're a criminal. The NSA doesn't handle that.
Because you're a journalist talking to sources in the industry you're investigating.