united-states internet open-source-software
Is it legal to use the Tor Network and Tor Software in the United States?
<p>Is it legal to use the following provided by the Tor Project:</p>

<ul>
<li>Using the Tor Browser</li>
<li>Using the Tor Network</li>
<li>Browsing *.onion domains</li>
<li>Browsing the "Hidden Wiki"</li>
</ul>

<p>Provided I'm not doing anything illegal with these services/software. I am asking specifically for the United States. Are there any states within the US that prohibit the use of any/all of these services/software?</p>

<p>Using Tor is not illegal. Nor is hiding your IP address, which is - among other things - what Tor does.</p>

<p>Going to <code>.onion</code> links is not illegal. What you find and interact with at those <code>.onion</code> sites may be illegal. See Law StackExchange <a href="https://law.stackexchange.com/questions/7954/is-it-legal-to-host-a-directory-of-onion-urls/7958#7958">Is it legal to host a directory of .onion urls?</a></p>

<p>Running a Tor Relay is not illegal. <em>That could change.</em> Running an Exit Relay could expose your IP address as the Relay, so that could lead investigators of illegal activity to you. Read <a href="https://www.torproject.org/eff/tor-legal-faq.html.en" rel="nofollow noreferrer">https://www.torproject.org/eff/tor-legal-faq.html.en</a></p>

<p>As always, check your state laws <a href="http://statelaws.findlaw.com/criminal-laws/computer-crimes.html" rel="nofollow noreferrer">http://statelaws.findlaw.com/criminal-laws/computer-crimes.html</a></p>

<p>And do your own research with the links above and at <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tor_(anonymity_network)" rel="nofollow noreferrer">https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tor_(anonymity_network)</a> and at <a href="https://www.torproject.org/" rel="nofollow noreferrer">https://www.torproject.org/</a></p>
