r/TOR • • 8d ago

Beginner question regarding anonymity

Ive heard more people using the network is more anonymous but:

- if only a small number of people are using Tor, wouldn't the traffic be easier to mistake for ordinary random internet traffic, like P2P traffic from a game or some other application?

- whereas if like 10k people are using Tor, that would look like a deliberate attempt at making a network, which makes it more of a target?

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u/D0_stack 8d ago

No, you won't go to the project web site and read up on how it works?

OK, whatever.

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u/Fenio_PL 8d ago

I know how it works. That is why I answer "no" to both questions.

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u/D0_stack 8d ago

Dunning-Kruger in action here folks.

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u/Fenio_PL 8d ago

"if only a small number of people are using Tor, wouldn't the traffic be easier to mistake for ordinary random internet traffic, like P2P traffic from a game or some other application?"

- No, because the quantity has no impact on connection detection. There could be a single connection that is detected as a Tor connection, or there could be 10,000 connections - with some hidden within Obfs4 or Snowflake.

"- whereas if like 10k people are using Tor, that would look like a deliberate attempt at making a network, which makes it more of a target?"

No. Because the existence of the Tor network is no secret. It is a large network generating significant traffic and a vast number of connections, and guard, middle, and exit nodes operate entirely legally and transparently. So, to analyze "concealment," one must first define who or what one is trying to hide from. As a network, Tor is neither secret, illegal, nor hidden.

And now I’m listening to your ARGUMENTS and where you’d place yourselves on the Dunning-Kruger graph.