Facebook is rolling out a new feature on its Android app that will let mobile users access the social network anonymously over The Onion Router network, or Tor.
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And it’ll be Android only for the time being, with Krauss saying there are no plans to bring such a feature to iOS.
Tor is used to hide computer IP addresses, typically by concealing the identity of an Internet user. Its popularity has grown following revelations of United States spying on the Internet by former National Security Agency contractor Edward Snowden in 2013.
To get started, users will have to download Orbot to connect to Tor and then update their app settings using a standard preference switch. Now the users won’t need a separate browser. This allows Facebook users to keep “the cryptographic protections provided by the Tor cloud”.
Facebook’s move comes as policymakers and technology companies debate whether digital privacy should be curbed to help regulators more easily thwart hackers.
Facebook says it “commonly receive requests for additional platform support beyond the browser”, and a summer intern project has turned into experimental support for using Facebook over Tor on Android devices. Moreover, by effectively implementing privacy mechanisms, users can choose whether to share their location or not. For some people, this is convenience. “For others it is lifesaving”, she said via the encrypted message service Signal.
Ms. Krauss believes that collaboration with Facebook will also help expand Tor operations and reach its huge customer base. That will change in the coming days as Facebook rolls out support for Tor in the Android app.
Android app users will now theoretically be able to browse Facebook securely, without fear of any prying eyes.
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That said, Facebook is now experimenting with the feature, but it appears to be flawed at the very core.
