Hello all,
I just spun up 2 relays (1 exit, 1 non-exit) in Amsterdam using DigitalOcean as the VPS provider. It's been up for about 8 hours now. Here was the message I sent to them regarding the servers:
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Hello,
I just spun up a couple servers in Amsterdam to act as relays in the Tor network (see https://www.torproject.org/about/overview.html.en). I just wanted to file this ticket so that you were aware of those servers' purpose. One is simply a non-exit relay meaning that all traffic is encrypted and ultimately routed to another tor server before it connects to the destination IP (no risk there). The other is an exit relay that establishes the final connection for the client. This box has a bit more risk because it's IP will be used for the connection. Now, according to law, the exit relay cannot be held responsible for the traffic because it is merely a pass-through server with no knowledge of the traffic - much like any ISP - but there hasn't been a firm legal precedent set yet to my knowledge.
The purpose of the Tor server is to facilitate internet traffic for those that might be subject to laws that censor legitimate content (China, North Korea, Iran, etc...). It also acts as a safety net for the press so that they cannot be easily tracked when working on dangerous assignments.
I read a couple other forum posts regarding your TOC and saw that you pass the liability on to the customer because you don't have control over what each droplet is used for. This is in essence the exact same case with a Tor relay.
I have configured my exit relay to block a large number of ports that are typically used for torrents to reduce the possibility of any complaints.
Please let me know if you have any questions.
Thanks,
Adam
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And here is there response:
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Hello,
While TOR exit-nodes are allowed under our TOS we strong discourage them because of the abuse complaints they generate. As you mentioned, you are responsible for any traffic generated by your droplets. While in the future there may be a precedent that grants safe-harbor status to TOR exit nodes, there is no such precedent under US Law at this time and the responsibility remains with you. You will be responsible to resolve any abuse complaints lodged against you related to this droplet. If we can be of any further assistance please let us know.
Thanks Ryan
Posted on 08/22/13 at 13:49 Gravatar Ryan Quinn
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I am based out of the US. Is there anything I should be careful with hosting an offshore Tor exit node? I already used the limited tor port list that was in the wiki.
The other thing that I am weighing is just a moral question regarding misuse of the Tor network for despicable things like child porn. I understand that of all the traffic it is a small percentage and that ISPs essentially face the same dilemma, but I wonder if more can be done to make Tor resistant to evil usage.
Thanks.