The Tor Project and Tails are joining forces, merging their operations. Tails is a portable Linux-based operating system that focuses on user privacy and anonymity.
This merger is happening in the context of increasing digital surveillance and efforts to break end-to-end encryption. The global agenda also includes censorship of online services.
Tails will now be incorporated into the structure of the Tor Project. This move is aimed at enabling easier collaboration, better sustainability, reduced overhead, and expanded training programs to tackle a greater number of digital threats.
Two become one
Established in 2006, the Tor Project is a non-profit known for its work on Tor, a privacy-focused network that anonymizes internet traffic. Tails, on the other hand, is a portable Linux distribution with a pre-installed desktop environment, lightweight and able to boot from USB drives without leaving a digital footprint.
Both Tor and Tails projects have a history of supporting each other. Tails, released in 2009, connects to the internet through Tor by default and has received support from various organizations, including the Tor Project itself.
This merger aligns with the shared focus of both organizations on privacy and anonymity online, offering potential benefits to high-risk individuals like activists and journalists facing digital surveillance.
Edward Snowden has praised both platforms and previously used Tails during his whistleblowing activities against the NSA over a decade ago.
The merger was initiated by Tails in late 2023, indicating the organization had outgrown its existing structure. By combining resources, the Tor Project aims to better address global mass surveillance and censorship threats, expanding its scope to fulfill a wider range of privacy and security needs.
With closer technological alignment and enhanced education and outreach programs, the integration of Tor and Tails is expected to support faster development and collaboration between the two organizations.