Tor has been a long-time financial supporter of Tails, and the developers of the two platforms have been working together since 2015. Both rely on donations from organizations and users (The Tor Project is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization, so donations are tax deductible for everyone paying US taxes). But late last year, Tails approached the Tor Project with the idea of merging operations, since, the announcement noted, Tails no longer had its existing structure. Among other things, the merger will help spread the reach of Tails, and allow the Tails team to focus on its core business, it said.
Tor, short for The Onion Router, is well known among security researchers – and threat actors – for its ability to hide a user’s browsing activity by routing encrypted web traffic through a chain of nodes. This reduces the likelihood of a user’s browsing being traced back to them. Its reputation has been mixed over the years, as it is often used to hide illegal activities, not just to protect the privacy and security of its intended users.
Tails, short for Amnesic Incognito Live System, is a Linux distribution that runs on RAM using the Tor network. The OS is designed to be downloaded and installed on a USB stick, then plugged into the computer. That way, a user can log into Tails from a USB instead of logging into Windows, Linux, or macOS.
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