Tor Project (Tor Browser)

Tor, originally an acronym for 'The Onion Router', is a globally recognized free and open-source software project designed to enable anonymous communication. The concept of onion routing was initially developed by researchers at the United States Naval Research Laboratory in the mid-1990s to protect U.S. intelligence communications online. It was further refined by DARPA before being released under a free license to the public.

While its origins are deeply rooted in U.S. government research, the Tor Project was formally incorporated as a 501(c)(3) research-education nonprofit organization based in the United States in 2006. Today, the software is developed by a global community of contributors, and the network itself is decentralized, powered by thousands of volunteer-run relays located in almost every country across the globe.

The Tor Project remains independent and is funded through a variety of sources, including government grants, private foundations, and individual donations. Notable supporters have included the National Science Foundation, the U.S. State Department, and various digital rights organizations, reflecting its dual legacy as a high-security tool and a civil liberties project for global digital privacy.