Tor Project teams up with Mozilla on Tor Mode in Firefox

Firefox may be getting a Tor mode so users can browse the web anonymously. The makers of the Tor browser say they are working on such a mode that can be downloaded separately in the browser.

The team behind the anonymizing browser recently held talks with Mozilla’s browser makers, the Tor team reports. In it, they discussed the idea of ​​integrating the Tor protocol into Firefox’s private mode in the future. However, that is technically difficult and expensive, so the browser makers are working on a middle ground. That would be a ‘Tor mode’ that users can add to Firefox as an add-on. “This allows users to experience what a fully integrated Tor experience would look like,” the developers write.

It would not be just an add-on, but one with elevated privileges. Most addons are WebExtensions by default, but Tor mode should also be able to access xpcom functions. This requires the add-on to be signed by Mozilla, so the makers have to work together.

If the mode is enabled, a Tor proxy is set up, according to the makers. The mode would also implement other Tor features, such as anti-fingerprinting. The Tor developers are calling on other developers to join the discussion about what the mode would look like in practice. This can be done, for example, as a separate window with its own profile, which is not possible with a new tab. The makers also note that http websites in Tor mode are probably not allowed through, or that https is forced where possible.