Browsers
Tor Browser privacy rating
Firefox-based browser that routes traffic through the Tor network to hide the user's IP address and location. Isolates each site and makes users look alike to resist tracking and fingerprinting.
Summary
Tor Browser scores 93 out of 100 (grade A) on the browsers criteria. It meets 7 of 8 criteria: open source, no trackers or telemetry, no ads or data sales, independent audit, fingerprinting protection, no calls to big-tech services and timely security updates. It partly meets blocks trackers by default. It is based in the United States: Five Eyes member; subject to the US CLOUD Act.
Score 93 out of 100. How scoring works
Criteria
-
Yes
Open source Weight 3 of 3
Is all the source code needed to run the product public?
MPL-2.0, built on Firefox ESR. Source releases are published at dist.torproject.org. The Tor GitLab now requires sign-in to view files.
-
Yes
No trackers or telemetry Weight 3 of 3
Are the website and apps free of third-party trackers, with any analytics anonymous and any telemetry off by default?
No tracking, telemetry or analytics.
-
Yes
No ads or data sales Weight 2 of 3
Is the product funded without advertising, ad targeting or selling user data?
Nonprofit funded by donations and grants. No ads.
-
Yes
Independent audit Weight 2 of 3
Has an independent security or privacy audit been published within the last three years?
Cure53 audited changes in Tor Browser for desktop and Android, with the full report published.
-
Partial
Blocks trackers by default Weight 3 of 3
Are third-party trackers blocked by default, without installing extensions?
Isolates each site so third-party trackers cannot follow users across sites, but does not block tracker requests.
-
Yes
Fingerprinting protection Weight 2 of 3
Does the browser defend against fingerprinting by default?
Standardizes fingerprinting data by default so users look alike.
-
Yes
No calls to big-tech services Weight 2 of 3
Does the browser work without background connections to Google, Microsoft or Apple services?
No background connections to Google, Microsoft or Apple services. Traffic goes through the Tor network.
-
Yes
Timely security updates Weight 3 of 3
Are security fixes from the upstream engine shipped quickly and automatically?
Releases follow Firefox ESR security updates and can install automatically.