Topic: Tor Project

The financial relationship between the Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF), the Mozilla Foundation, and Google is scrutinized. Google reportedly pays Mozilla $100 million annually to be the default search engine and is a major donor to the EFF. The "HTTPS Everywhere" extension, a collaboration between the EFF and the Tor Project, is introduced as a tool that forces encrypted connections on websites.

The Tor Project published a statement against online harassment, which the hosts find contradictory to the project's mission of providing absolute anonymity and free speech. The statement suggests that "empowerment" through technology does not mean all speech should be tolerated. This shift in rhetoric is interpreted as a sign that the Tor Project may be compromised or moving toward a more regulated view of digital communication.

A critique of security researcher Jacob Appelbaum suggests that his revelations about iPhone surveillance—such as the ability to remotely activate microphones and GPS—are actually routine software capabilities documented in developer forums. Appelbaum is described as an "evangelist" for the Tor Project rather than a primary developer, and his focus on specific device "vectors" is seen as a distraction from broader government dragnet surveillance.

The hosts turn their focus to Jacob Applebaum and his recent keynote at the Chaos Computer Club in Germany. They express skepticism regarding Applebaum's status as a "hero," noting his residence in Berlin and his ties to various government-funded organizations. The discussion questions the authenticity of his claims and his role in the broader Snowden/Greenwald narrative.

An analysis of the Tor Project's financial sponsors reveals significant funding from the U.S. State Department, the Broadcasting Board of Governors, and the Knight Foundation. The hosts argue that because Tor is a 501(c)(3) corporation receiving millions in government grants, it cannot be considered a truly independent or secure anonymity tool. They suggest Applebaum may be an agent protecting specific corporate interests.

An investigation into the Tor Project's 990 tax forms reveals significant funding from the Internews Network and the National Science Foundation. Internews, which receives millions from USAID, is characterized by the hosts as a propaganda arm for the U.S. government. The segment questions the independence of the Tor network given its financial ties to organizations promoting "free speech" in regions like Russia and Eurasia.