Amid Russia crackdown, Twitter launches safer Tor internet browser version of its website

Twitter Inc. has launched a version of its social media service for the Tor internet browser, a move that could help keep user activity and information secure from potential Russian surveillance given crackdowns on free speech in the country. Websites on Tor include a “.onion” web domain instead of a “.com” domain, and can be accessed via a Tor browser, which hides a user’s location and activity. Tor, short for The Onion Router, is often linked to the dark web, but a number of legitimate entities now have .onion sites.

“Making our service more accessible is an ongoing priority for us,” a Twitter spokesperson said in a statement. “This has been in the works.” Twitter has been restricted in Russia for more than a week following the country’s invasion of Ukraine. Facebook has been blocked in Russia entirely for continuing to fact-check Russian state-backed media. Both social networks have expressed a desire to find ways to operate there so people can communicate with those outside the country and maintain access to non-Russian news sources.