Facebook Android App Now Supports Anonymity Service Tor

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Facebook Android App – Facebook, the world’s largest social network, has made it possible for its users to privately browse its site through the anonymity service Tor. On Tuesday, the social network informed users that the new facility is an expansion of an existing collaboration that allowed users to directly access its site via Tor’s browser on PCs.Facebook Android App Now Supports Anonymity Service Tor

Facebook Android App – No support for iOS

Such an arrangement from Facebook comes amid an ongoing debate among policymakers and technology companies regarding curbing digital privacy to help regulators thwart hackers. Facebook has a large following of around 1.5 billion monthly active users, and Android support could help expand Tor, according to Kate Krauss, a spokeswoman for the Tor Project.

Krauss, via Signal, which is an encrypted messaging service, said, “Everybody in the world needs more privacy online and almost everybody is on Facebook. This will allow people to choose whether to share their location or not. For some people, this is convenience. For others it is lifesaving.”

There are no plans of supporting Facebook’s mobile app for Apple’s iPhone, Krauss added.

Tor, which conceals the identity of an Internet user, has grown in popularity after revelations from former National Security Agency contractor Edward Snowden about the U.S. intelligence agencies spying on people. Tor, which received funding from the U.S. government, was seen as a communications tool for dissidents in oppressive countries, but it has been facing criticism from U.S. spies as it makes monitoring very difficult.

Facebook Android App – Facebook rolling out Android support for Tor

In 2014, Facebook launched the feature that allowed users to access its site via Tor on PCs. Referring to this, the company said a “sizeable community” has grown up around it, and this has prompted calls for additional Tor support. The social network has already begun the process of rolling out Tor support on Android.

Within a few days, the Tor access option will be available to everyone. Presently, the company is looking for feedback on how good it is working. For anyone intending to keep their mobile conversations under wraps, this is surely a needed solution. To use the feature, users are required to download the Orbot proxy app and update their settings.

On Tuesday, Facebook shares closed up 0.31% at $95.26. Year to date, the stock is down by almost 9%, while in the last month, it is down by over 8%.

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