The anonymity browser Tor is mainly used for accessing the dark web, assuring no trace of the sites users have visited.
There are many unscrupulous traders who use The Onion Router, as Tor is referred to, due to the layers over layers of anonymity that it offers to transact business in illegal items like drugs, weapons and stolen goods.
However, there are some segments of users that are using the software for good, such as investigative reporters and whistleblowers who utilize Tor to share sensitive information exposing corruption.
Although the Tor browser is largely used on PCs operating on Windows, there are Tor browser apps available for mobile operating systems as well-both Android and iOS.
Two popular and effective mobile Tor apps, the Onion Browser and Orfox, are discussed in detail below.
Onion Browser
As the users of iOS-run devices know, running Tor browser on Apple devices isn't exactly the smoothest experience for various technical reasons.
Apple has been quite conservative in allowing its platform to be used by independently run technologies, and it places several roadblocks before permitting the app or other technologies to run.
An app called the Onion Browser has had to go through those pangs before being permitted to be downloaded and used on iOS devices.
But after some time, it was finally able to gain a spot on Apple's app marketplace.
The free Onion Browser app is now available on the Apple App Store and can be used without any hitch.
Further work is still ongoing to allow Tor to be used on these platforms, and announcements may continue to come.
Orfox
As is known, the Tor browser is built out of the codes used in the Firefox browser, and Orfox has similar source codes. Overall, the app has all the security features that Tor has.
The developers have designed Orfox to help keep mobile users safe and secure while browsing the dark web. The extra layers of encryption offered by the app allow users to operate on the network without leaving a trace.
You can download the app on the Google Play Store for Android. Like other Tor browser apps, it is free to download and use.
Technology always brings with it a number of advantages and some drawbacks as well. In most cases, the larger public good determines the way the technology is received, used and spread.
Even with Tor browser, one has to mainly consider this aspect as the secure and anonymous browsing feature is a useful tool for even the law enforcement agencies to carry on their work in total confidence.
As mentioned, there are other rightful users who need to work without being pried upon by the very same law enforcement agencies because they could be working on investigating a top politician or a bureaucrat, and they may use the power they wield to sabotage if the communication is carried out within the normal channels.
That's why mobile Tor browser apps like Orfox and the Onion Browser are so important for safeguarding anonymity on the internet.
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