I was reading this guide on how to run a snowflake proxy, and I’m considering doing it.
https://snowflake.torproject.org/
I’m currently renting a small VPS for my self-hosted services, and I have some spare capacity. So I was wondering, are there any downsides that I might be overlooking?
My self-hosted services are on a URL with my real name. Could there be any privacy or legal implications for me? (I don’t live under an authoritarian regime)
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Snowflakes are used as entry nodes, not as exit nodes. So if your Vps provider doesn’t forbid running tor services you should not face any downsides
Who actually hosts exit nodes considering the risk of doing so?
I did… Until the police knocked on my door. They said I was lucky because they decided to ask questions first, but they technically could have siezed every computer in my house without warning. I don’t think you’d ever get convicted for something obviously done over tor, but having your stuff taken while they investigate is really inconvenient.
People who accept the fact that they will have to explain to the non-technical police that they are not the ones who did something bad and they’re only the exit-node operators. And, of course, the three-letter agencies.
Not Sure Actually.
That probably depends on your vps provider (if using vps). Hosting exit node at home is clearly a bad idea.
Check this (mind that this not have to fresh enough): https://community.torproject.org/relay/community-resources/good-bad-isps/
Thanks! I’ll check with my vps provider.
However, this proxy does not seem to be “within” the tor network itself, right? I’m just connecting someone to the first entry node on the system, correct?
Would I be transmitting unencrypted data? In other words, would an outsider be able to tell that I’m transmitting something illegal to a person accessing tor?
- The entry node doesn’t know what data is being transmitted (or from where that data is) only who it’s being transmitted to.
- The middle nodes know nothing about the data and just know the previous and next hop.
- The exit node knows what data is being accessed (if it’s not being accessed via Https) but not who is accessing it
So in other words: no, you’re not transmitting unencrypted data
would an outsider be able to tell that I’m transmitting something illegal to a person accessing tor?
No, because if that was possible, law enforcement would set up quite some of those and catch some bad guys
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Thanks! Would you be able to elaborate a bit more?
It was my understanding that this is not the same thing as running an exit node.
I skimmed over the page you linked and it sounds like an ‘exit node’, or more precisely, just a proxy. So all the traffic looks like it’s coming from you.
From OP’s link under the “operate a Snowflake proxy” section
You can join thousands of volunteers from around the world who have a Snowflake proxy installed and running. There is no need to worry about which websites people are accessing through your Snowflake proxy. Their visible browsing IP address will match their Tor exit node, not yours.
A Snowflake proxy is not a Tor exit node.
