Tor’s Snowflake enables internet users to help people in heavily-censored countries access the web freely via the Tor network. Brave announced support for Tor Bridges with its September 2022 update. Bridges are relays that allow people to access Tor even when their governments block access to the network. Like Tor Bridges, Snowflake is also a peer-to-peer system run by volunteers. Brave’s decision to support Snowflake reflects the company’s commitment to privacy and internet freedom. “We are proud to be a member of the Tor Project and are happy to be able to provide ways for our users to access the information they are looking for,” Brave stated in its blog post.
What is Tor’s Snowflake?
Tor’s Snowflake allows people in countries with strict online censorship to access the internet freely. Volunteers run Snowflake proxies, which people in more restricted regions can connect to. There are thousands of Snowflake proxies run by people from all over the world. When a user connects to a proxy, Snowflake makes it appear like they’re using the internet to make a video or voice call. This way, the user can fly under the radar. To volunteer to run a Snowflake proxy, update your Brave browser to the latest version. Then go to settings > Privacy, and toggle Volunteer to help others connect to the Tor network. You can also download the Snowflake browser extension and activate it to create a Snowflake proxy. The only caveat to being a volunteer is that you must be in a country without internet restrictions. The Snowflake extension is available on the Tor Browser (for desktop and Android), Orbot for iOS and Android, and the Onion Browser. It’s also available for Chrome, Firefox, and Edge.
Is Setting up a Snowflake Proxy Safe?
According to Brave and the Tor Project, there are no known serious risks of installing the Snowflake extension. The system does not publish volunteer IP addresses anywhere. The Snowflake extension only connects people to the volunteer’s device to access the Tor network. “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,” Snowflake’s explainer page says. If you found this article interesting, we recommend reading our article about Tor’s safety features.
