The Tor Project has launched its “Free the Internet” fundraising campaign with all donations matched one-to-one up to $250,000 by Power Up Privacy through 31 December 2025, as the organisation prepares to release Tor Browser 15.0 with AI features stripped out.
The 501(c)3 nonprofit organisation maintains the Tor network, Tor Browser, and Tails operating system that millions use globally to circumvent surveillance and censorship. During the 2023-2024 fiscal year, 84 per cent of expenses supported programme services, including building technology, conducting outreach, and maintaining security updates.
The forthcoming browser release removes various AI features Mozilla has integrated into Firefox over the past year, including the AI chatbot sidebar. Machine learning systems and platforms are inherently un-auditable from a security and privacy perspective, whilst the organisation does not want to imply recommendation or promotion of such systems by including them in Tor Browser.
The campaign challenges supporters to back privacy tools fighting what the organisation describes as for-profit greed, rampant privacy violations, and pervasive government spying. Donations exceeding $25 qualify for Tor merchandise, whilst the organisation holds a Four-Star Charity Navigator rating and Candid’s Platinum Seal of Transparency.
The tools enable critical access in repressive environments. Turkmen.news uses Tor to provide safe access to information in Turkmenistan, where authorities tightly control the internet. Freedom of the Press Foundation relies on Tor as the backbone of SecureDrop, allowing journalists and sources to communicate without fear of retaliation or exposure. In Russia and Egypt, where authorities block encrypted tools to control communications, individuals use Tor Browser to access encrypted email services like Tuta Mail.
Power Up Privacy, an advocacy group funding privacy-related research and development projects, is providing the matching contribution. The organisation identifies underfunded areas in the privacy software ecosystem to strengthen infrastructure, preserving freedom and human rights.
The Tor Project will host two State of the Onion virtual events on 12 November and 10 December to share project and community updates. The December event coincides with the UN’s adoption of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights in 1948.
Tor Browser 15.0 is expected to reach stable release in the last week of October, with the organisation currently conducting quality assurance testing. The release also removes Firefox and Mozilla-specific branding and features, including service integrations that have appeared in recent Firefox updates.
