Tor Project Experiments With Funding Fast Exit Nodes

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Tor Project Experiments With Funding Fast Exit Nodes

Posted by Unknown on Wednesday July 25, 2012 @12:50AM from the cash-for-secrets dept.

mask.of.sanity writes "The Tor Project is considering paying exit relay hosts to make the network faster and more secure. The project has called for discussion on the idea, notably from relay hosts. Its founder has suggested $100 a month would attract fast and diverse nodes. Exit nodes are the last hopping point on the Tor network and are critical to its performance and safety." The problem: "But lately the Tor network has become noticeably faster, and I think it has a lot to do with the growing amount of excess relay capacity relative to network load ... on today's network, clients choose one of the fastest 5 exit relays around 25-30% of the time, and 80% of their choices come from a pool of 40-50 relays. ... Since we're not doing particularly well at diversity with the current approach, we're going to try an experiment: we'll connect funding to exit relay operators so they can run bigger and/or better exit relays." As to funding: "We've lined up our first funder (BBG, ...), and they're excited to have us start as soon as we can. They want to sponsor 125+ fast exits."

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Re:Why would anyone ever want to run a Tor exit no by MoonBuggy · 2012-07-25 01:09 · Score: 5, Interesting

It's a public service, helping to preserve people's ability to practice their right to free speech. Plenty of us believe extremely strongly in that, and I'd consider it at least as worthy as many other philanthropic causes. If I had a decent amount of money (i.e. enough to consult a lawyer beforehand, take reasonable legal precautions, and kick up a stink rather than just disappearing if I ever were taken to court) I'd do it like a shot.
It doubles the speed at which the FBI notices you by crazyjj · 2012-07-25 01:11 · Score: 4, Interesting

This new version also features 2-3 times more harassment from the government.

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Re:Why would anyone ever want to run a Tor exit no by crazyjj · 2012-07-25 01:18 · Score: 4, Interesting

It would be nice to think that everyone would all do it, making it basically impossible to harass individual exit nodes. That's certainly the theory behind Tor. And it's a noble idea.
But then again, let's face it, most people are leechers. And unless you could find a way to encourage mass adoption of Tor, combined with a default (perhaps even mandatory) setting of "allow exit node", it's probably not going to work.
Maybe they could bundle it in with some really popular apps or games. Offer "This game $10 for the regular version/free with Tor" specials.

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What political party do you join when you don't like Bible-thumpers *or* hippies?
Re:Why would anyone ever want to run a Tor exit no by Anonymous Coward · 2012-07-25 01:18 · Score: 2, Interesting

I mean, even if you are paid much more than $100 a month, being legally and financially responsible for the shit that goes on through your server (since you are the EXIT node) could get you sent to jail for life and cost you huge amounts of money. Sounds completely insane for anyone to willingly run such a thing.
It's great for FBI,CIA,MI5 etc. It concentrates a lot of questionable traffic to very few nodes and make anyone connecting to these nodes immediately suspicious. Running a node for money would make it a more serious offense in court which is great for the DA: winning more years in prison means a better career for the DA.
Re:It doubles the speed at which the FBI notices y by Chrisq · 2012-07-25 01:23 · Score: 3, Interesting

This new version also features 2-3 times more harassment from the government.
Or maybe the government will be providing the exit nodes (via proxy companies). I am sure that the ability to add delays at exit would aid traffic identification
Re:BBG = Broadcast Board of Governors by Anonymous Coward · 2012-07-25 01:23 · Score: 2, Interesting

VOA = Voice Of America
Essentially the propaganda arm of the US Government wants to fund exit nodes, tread lightly folks.
Re:Why would anyone ever want to run a Tor exit no by Lincolnshire+Poacher · 2012-07-25 01:56 · Score: 3, Interesting

But then again, let's face it, most people are leechers.
I have a reasonably fast business ADSL connection which is genuinely unmetered with no "fair-usage", no throttling, no DPI. It is literally a packet-shifting Internet connection through my ISP which is fairly rare in the UK these days!
I'd love to open it up to the benefit of society, but I just can't accept the risks of running something like a Tor node. Even running a secondary channel with open wifi makes me nervous.
I suppose this makes me cowardly.... and means they are winning.
Re:Why would anyone ever want to run a Tor exit no by Anonymous Coward · 2012-07-25 01:56 · Score: 3, Interesting

Tor has been out for ten years. Could you post some links to articles where people were held legally and/or financially responsible for what passed through their exit node?
Re:Why would anyone ever want to run a Tor exit no by Anonymous Coward · 2012-07-25 05:32 · Score: 3, Interesting

How is it that they let you get away with just saying that? Then what stops me from distributing terrorist child porn warez from my home PC and then saying it was a Tor exit node when they call? In fact, they probably would never call me. They would contact my ISP, which would cut me off and tell them my home address and all information about me and then the police would come straight to my house without any warning. Why are they so kind to you?