Twitter is now available on the dark web with its first-ever .Onion domain accessible through Tor browser for those facing government censorship.
While Russia is blocking and banning social media platforms in the wake of its attack on Ukraine, Twitter has announced to launch Tor Onion Service to allow users continued access to the site. Simply put: you can now access Twitter on dark web without the need of using VPN although it is advised to use VPN at all times.
Twitter Launching Tor Onion Service
Russia may have blocked Twitter and Facebook on Friday, Twitterati at least would not face any issues using the platform as Twitter has launched a Tor onion service domain exclusively to let users access the site on the following address:
https://twitter3e4tixl4xyajtrzo62zg5vztmjuricljdp2c5kshju4avyoid.onion
The Tor site is designed to work efficiently over the Tor network to offer easy access to the site and ensure user anonymity. However, it is surprising that Twitter isn’t promoting the Tor mirror site officially and has quietly announced the project via cybersecurity expert Alec Muffet.
Muffet helped the company create the Tor destination. Here’s what Muffet posted about Twitter’s new Tor onion service. Additionally, Tor network has also been added to Twitter’s supported browsers list.
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How does Tor Works?
Tor is an anonymity network that routes a user’s internet connection via different servers. These servers are usually run by volunteers located worldwide. While a VPN generally consists of a single proxy server or hop, Tor utilizes three relays prior to connecting to the public internet, allowing users to surf the web anonymously and hide their physical location.
Though you can access Twitter’s standard website through Tor, the new service adds multiple protection layers to ensure a more anonymized browsing. Moreover, the latest version is designed especially for Tor.
If you want to visit Twitter’s Tor onion site, download the Tor browser to anonymize your web traffic and use the URL mentioned above to access Twitter through Tor.
Can Russians Access Twitter via Tor?
For users to access the Tor version of Twitter in Russia, Tor must be available in the country. According to data compiled by Tor Project, until March 2022, 12.77% of Tor relay users connected from Russia.
Therefore, if anyone can connect to the Tor network in Russia can use Twitter’s new onion service since some Russian ISPs have blocked Tor while some haven’t, explained the Tor Project representative.