The Tor Project is merging its operations with Tails, a Linux-based portable operating system focused on maintaining users' privacy and anonymity.
This merger comes in the context of ongoing digital surveillance and regulatory efforts to break end-to-end encryption, while censorship of online services remains firmly on the global agenda.
According to a blog post published today by Pavel Zonov, PR and Communications Director of the Tor Project, Tails will be integrated into the "Tor Project's structure," allowing for "easier collaboration, improved stability, reduced overhead, and broader training and outreach programs to counter various digital threats."
Two in One Support
Founded in 2006, the Tor Project is a non-profit organization known for its work on Tor ("The Onion Router"), a privacy-focused network that anonymizes internet traffic by routing it through multiple servers and encrypting the data along the way. The Tor Project develops browsers for all major operating systems, and some of the world's largest tech companies have adopted Tor to support various privacy-focused initiatives.
Tails, for its part, is a lightweight Linux distribution based on Debian, featuring a pre-installed desktop environment. It can be booted from portable storage devices like USB drives, leaving a minimal digital footprint.
Tor and Tails are no strangers to each other. Released initially in 2009, Tails, or "The Amnesic Incognito Live System," connects to the internet via Tor by default. Additionally, Tails has received support over the years from several third-party organizations and foundations, including the Tor Project, which has funded developer resources for the project.
Merging the Tor Project and Tails makes perfect sense, considering their shared focus on online privacy and anonymity, not to mention their common history. This could also be a boon for people at high risk in a world approaching 24/7 digital surveillance, with activists, journalists, and anyone vulnerable to online tracking standing to benefit.
In fact, none other than Edward Snowden has praised both platforms, previously stating that he used Tails as part of his whistleblowing efforts against the U.S. National Security Agency (NSA) over a decade ago.
The blog post states that this merger follows a proposal made by Tails to the Tor Project in late 2023. Tails noted that it had "outgrown its current structure."
Tails OS team leader Intrigary said in a statement, "Running Tails as an independent project for 15 years has been a massive effort, but not for the reasons you might expect. The hardest part wasn’t the tech—it was managing essential tasks like fundraising, finance, and HR. After trying to manage them in different ways, I’m truly relieved that Tails is now under the wing of the Tor Project."
By pooling their respective resources, including technology and personnel, the Tor Project says it will be better equipped to address the "threat of global mass surveillance and censorship of the free internet." This will include expanding the scope of the Tor Project to "address a wide range of privacy needs and security scenarios," as well as promoting education, training, and outreach programs, in addition to closer technical alignment.
Isabela Fernandes, Executive Director of the Tor Project, said in a statement, "By bringing these two organizations together, we’re not only making things easier for our teams but also ensuring the sustainable development and growth of these essential tools. Working together allows for faster, more efficient collaboration, enabling the swift integration of new features from one tool to the other."
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