Yesterday, Internet rumors surfaced claiming Comcast would begin blocking users of Tor, an anonymous web browser often associated with pirating. Comcast Vice President Jason Livinghood was quick to cry foul, knowing full well that preventing anonymous Internet browsing could infringe upon user privacy.
The story was later put to rest following a report from Business Insider, called, “Comcast Denies It Will Cut Off Customers Who Use Tor, The Web Browser For Criminals.”
The trouble with such headlines is they serve to reaffirm that anonymous browsers like Tor are strictly used for criminal purposes. Such sensationalism is indicative of a culture that misinterprets the full application of deep web utilities.
The developers behind Tor maintain there are several key benefits often overlooked when it comes to anonymous Internet browsing and providing the gateway to the deep web of cyberspace.
Project Tor is a campaign designed to rebuke the ‘criminal’ label with stories from actual users. The Tor user base have relied on the browser to protect themselves from identity thieves, keep their communications private from corporations and keep their children protected online. International users living under oppressive regimes have even used Tor to network political dissent.
Representatives of Tor suggest Tor’s bad reputation is simply a mark of generating news – people are less inclined to read a story about the positive application of the browser. This stigma often exists among budding Internet applications until they achieve mainstream success – only a short time ago, Bitcoin was considered little more than a medium for illicit transactions online.
Tor’s executive director, Andrew Lewman, believes the deep web has been stigmatized because the general public is not aware of its application. He suggests that the Internet used to be considered a playground for thieves, child pornographers and other criminals – it wasn’t until Internet connections became commonplace that there was a noticeable shift in perspective.
Sensational headlines blasting Tor will likely continue until knowledge of the deep web is more universal.