From: noreply@mixmin.net   
      
   *note: these two distinctive keywords, "surveillance and censorship", have   
   sharply disparate meanings and do not belong in the same sentence together   
      
   e.g., social media is moderated, routinely monitored and censored, whereas   
   unmoderated usenet newsgroups are also routinely monitored but are largely   
   uncensored . . . by stark contrast, their entire planet is under continual   
   surveillance by big brother, the universal military intelligence community   
   and infrastructure, which is lightyears beyond public scrutiny or exposure   
      
   defacto anonymity means nonexistence, short of that it means caveat emptor,   
   casual users of anonymous remailers, tor, etc. are probably in less danger   
   than serious users of any technology . . . it really is a jungle out there   
      
   (using Tor Browser 14.5.6)   
   https://duckduckgo.com/?q=tor+gaining+popularity&ia=web&assist=true   
   >Tor is gaining popularity as a tool for anonymous internet browsing and   
   >communication, particularly among users seeking to protect their privacy from   
   >surveillance and censorship. Its use has expanded beyond illicit activities to   
    ^^^^^^^^^^^^ ^^^ ^^^^^^^^^^   
   >include legitimate purposes, such as enabling secure communications for   
   activists   
   >and journalists. 99firms.com Tor Project   
   >Overview of Tor's Popularity   
   >Tor, short for The Onion Router, is a network designed to enable anonymous   
   >communication online. It has gained significant popularity over the years for   
   >various reasons, including privacy concerns and the need to bypass censorship.   
   >Reasons for Increased Popularity   
   >Privacy and Anonymity   
   >  User Base: Over two million people use Tor daily, including political   
   >  activists, journalists, and everyday users seeking privacy.   
   >  Protection from Surveillance: Tor helps users avoid tracking by advertisers   
   >  and ISPs, making it appealing in an age of increasing digital surveillance.   
   >Circumventing Censorship   
   >  Access to Blocked Content: Tor allows users in authoritarian countries to   
   >  access restricted websites, making it a vital tool for free expression.   
   >  Government Support: Interestingly, the U.S. government has funded Tor's   
   >  development, recognizing its importance for secure communications.   
   >User Demographics   
   >Geographic Distribution   
   >  Top Countries: Russia has the highest number of daily Tor users, followed by   
   >  the U.S. and Iran. This indicates a global interest in privacy tools.   
   >Usage Patterns   
   >  Legal vs. Illicit Use: While Tor is often associated with the dark web, only   
   >  about 6.7% of users access illicit content. The majority use it for   
   legitimate   
   >  purposes, such as protecting personal data.   
   >Conclusion   
   >Tor's popularity continues to grow as more people become aware of the   
   importance   
   >of online privacy and the need to circumvent censorship. Its unique features   
   and   
   >the backing of organizations highlight its role as a crucial tool for   
   maintaining   
   >freedom on the internet.   
   >Massachusetts Institute of Technology arXiv   
   [end quoted "search assist"]   
      
   --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05   
    * Origin: you cannot sedate... all the things you hate (1:229/2)