The Parliamentary Office of Science and Technology Publishes a Report on Tor
According to a report by the Parliamentary Office of Science and Technology, banning the Tor anonymity tool would be not acceptable and difficult to do. This reports comes soon after the declaration in which Cameron expressed his will to ban quality encryption in UK.
Tor is a cryptographic tool used by journalists, whistleblowers, privacy aware users and prudent people to remain anonymous online. Sadly, Tor has gained a bad reputation because of the use some criminal groups make of it. The report acknowledges the illegal activity in Tor, but also that this activity is rather small in comparison with the amount of legit use.
It is worth noting that this report does not mean the Parliament will respect its conclusions. The report is only a study on the subject, but the involved politicians are in no way obliged to follow its advice.
Crypto For Liberty celebrates this report and hopes that the UK Government will come to its senses and forget about banning quality encryption tools. Quality encryption is a much needed defense in a society where hostile countries, mafias and crackers are trying to intercept your communications. Removal of these tools is close to impossible, would render common citizens defenseless, and their financial and personal activities easier to capture for attackers.