Twitter Goes Dark: Twitter’s New Tor Extension for Private Tweeting
Twitter is now going dark with their new Tor extension that boasts more private and secure tweeting. Until now, you could only access Twitter’s .com website on the Tor browser. This did not create the same level of encryption afforded by typical dark web browsing, and caused other issues for users as well. Now, Twitter has officially launched a .onion address, designed as a gateway for the Tor Network. The extension promises to enhance Tor’s services and anonymize the Twitter user’s browsing experience.
The Draw of the Dark Web
The dark web often has many negative connotations. But dark web sites are not inherently bad; many platforms now have Tor-specific sites because of a demand for greater privacy online. In fact, Twitter was late to the game in making a Tor-friendly site. In 2014, Facebook launched its own version of a .onion site on Tor. Within just two years, the onion site received over a million users. Other common sites such as DuckDuckGo, The BBC, and The New York Times each have created their own Tor-specific web addresses.
Before this new extension, accessing Twitter through Tor often came with problems. For instance, Tor frequently identified Twitter users incorrectly as botnets. Botnets are connected devices that run software to steal data, send spam, and perform denial of service (DoS) attacks. This happens because the site sees that a user is operating from an unrecognizable or fluctuating IP address and flags this as an issue. When you access a .com address on Tor, you enter the Tor network and then exit to a .com site. In short, this allows you to enter the website through Tor’s encryption but leaves your exit point unencrypted. As a result, Twitter sees the IP address changing rapidly and assumes the changes correspond to a fake account.
What Twitter’s Tor Extension Means for Users
Accessing Twitter through the .onion site encrypts traffic on both ends. Tor’s network does this by connecting you through multiple nodes across the world, quickly making it difficult to see where you’re accessing the site. A distinct relay path enables Twitter to more easily monitor suspicious activities, like botnet attacks. This also protects good faith users from losing access to the platform. The new site can be accessed at https://twitter3e4tixl4xyajtrzo62zg5vztmjuricljdp2c5kshju4avyoid.onion, but only if you’re using the Tor browser.
Nfusion: Why Managed Attribution Still Matters
While accessing Twitter from the new Tor extension does add a layer of encryption, an extension alone is not a sufficient managed attribution solution. The Tor browser is not as secure as many people assume, and it is not impenetrable. Bad actors who have enough expertise, resources, and motivation can uncover a user’s true location or identity details; Tor doesn’t provide reliable anonymity and privacy. Accessing Tor through Nfusion is the only way to ensure complete protection while operating on the dark web.
Related Article: Advanced OSINT Training Series: Tor Bridges
