While the Internet has been seen by many as an opportunity to spread information and opinions, there is a deeper level of it that not many people pay attention to. The deep web can be seen as a more secret and more dangerous aspect of the open world. In recent years, Internet censorship and access monitoring have been gradually increasing in a number of nations around the world, including the U.S and China. With this restriction on the “world of freedom”, the onion routing – TOR has been gaining in popularity both for those escaping censorship and those who resent continual monitoring and a presumption of guilt. TOR facilitates free flow of communication and Internet anonymity by acting as a proxy and protects the users I.P address, identity.

For this research, we want to explore the use of The Onion Router, especially in the U.S and China, as well as how can free flow of communication from TOR impact the political and social in these countries. The main purpose of TOR is creating Internet anonymity for its users, leaving no track of activities and protects the identities of people who use it. Is it really a good thing?

Anonymity creates a sense of security for many people. In the unlimited world of the Internet where the government or authorities cannot every single content and users, it is important to know how to protect yourself while enjoying the freedom. According to the study of Carnegie Mellon University, 61% of the 44 interviewees chose to go anonymous online to protect themselves from unseen threats of the Internet. TOR also offers privacy to the online community. Users can research private issues and sensitive topic with no consequences attached. Around the world, there are communities of people who concerns about privacy, anonymity online as well as freedom and individual liberality. “ … an observed life is not a completely free life” – Cindy Cohn (legal director of Electronic Frontier Foundation). These people, especially those in US use TOR to skirt the government observation online. Mass surveillance by the US government has created a huge social impact on how its citizens communicate on the Internet as well as challenge the government by opposing the law with highly secured private and encrypted network. TOR is used as a bridge to access to the “deep web” where they can remain anonymous. Because of the governments enforce the restriction of information and the denial of privacy online; the communities of people using TOR is continue to rise. Not only those, the deep web administrators keep improving the pathways to deep web more frequently and more complicated to access with the highly encrypted technology. Silk Road’s admin once said

“The State tries to control nearly every aspect of our lives. Not just drug use, anywhere they do that, there’s an opportunity to live your life as you see fit, despite their efforts. What we’re doing isn’t about scoring drugs or sticking it to the man, it’s about standing up for our rights as human beings and refusing to submit when we’ve done no wrong. SilkRoad is a vehicle for that message. All else is secondary”.

One important positive impact that TOR brings to us is the promotion of Freedom Of Speech. The anonymity can create a more honest and open environment to discuss and communicate of different topics for both politic and social of one community or nation. It allows everyone’s opinions to be heard and not being taken as offensive or violation of any legislation. The power of anonymity that TOR brings makes it possible for people who might be restricted from communicating with the outside world to speak out. Concealing one’s true identity online has made it possible for free speech to break through the physical barriers enforced by governments and dictatorships across the world. (Liu Xiaobo case, wikileaks…) The journalist, sources, bloggers and dissidents use Tor in order to protect their privacy and safety. Citizen journalists in China, who has a very restricted access to the outside world politic due to the GREAT FIREWALL in China, use TOR as their channel to update and express their point of view on relevant issues. They also use TOR to write about local events, government control, etc to encourage social change and political reform.

The government also facilitate TOR’S anonymity and its free flow of communication to surveil the internet space and get information for illegal activities. Many of the law enforcement officers actually use TOR’s anonymity to engage in online “undercover” operations. Regardless, it’s really dangerous because the cover can be blown and track.

However, TOR’s Internet anonymity has its own negative side that could cause a lot of problems in real world from actions in the Internet virtual world. And this not only impacts us on a personal level within our social lives but also at a nation level including security and political issues.