Browsing Privacy Idea
 

I am familiar with TOR but I was thinking a simple and relatively private browsing experience could be accomplished via a script run on say 3 servers.

Server 1 requests the website you want, converts it to text, sends it to server 2, sends it to server 3 where i loads the html output while blocking images and scripts.

So publicly only the connection between server 1 and the website is recorded. We put that server in Nigeria or Syria or some place like that.

How well would this work? Am I missing something?

My goal is to build a free TOR like system that while not as secure, it would be extremely simple to open on any computer just by going to the domain instead of installing things etc. Perfect for use on public computers for example.

Right, but that doesn't mean you should not try to keep your info private and secure. Plus what I have in mind is not the same as TOR, it has pros and cons compared to what they are doing.

Not advocating child porn but TOR did protect him for awhile until they hacked the site. If 1. they never hacked that guys site because he had better security OR #2 if the guy wasn't looking at video content where he could be hit by a drive by download, they probably wouldn't have caught him, or caught him yet anyway.

It's basically like a TOR lite that you can run directly through your normal browser, ideal for public computers and things like that. It may not be as useful as I thought unfortunately since some popular sites seem to be able to block it somehow so I got to look into it further.

Noble and lofty but forget the browser. If you want to work on privacy focus on the messaging side and in particular secure email - that's where it's at right now.

there are tor web browsers, and, the tor site was not hacked, but the silk road, and those are two another things :2 cents: but maybe i have missed something ...

At what point are you no longer protecting your private info and attempting to hide illicit or illegal activity?

Why do you feel you need to hide electronic communications from the government or law enforcement if you are doing nothing wrong?

Considering they have back doors into the internet backbone, communications hubs, software, etc. do you really think you can hide for long? They can subpoena ISP and hosting logs, etc. how much privacy do you believe you have or should be allowed.

I agree 100% with the caveat that a slippery slope scenario does exist.

Imagine local law enforcement in all 50 states having access to everyone's emails, phone calls, text messages, instagram and snapchat accounts. They could easily create a narrative of guilt for any number of petty things to gain more local power or sway local elections. Local law enforcement already amps up tickets & arrests during election years. :2 cents:

That being said I don't use any privacy tools at all

I understand your concern at a local level. I grew up in a US city whose chief of police and his high ranking officers all were convicted of illegal wire tapping.

This is why there are checks and balances in place. Also keep in mind when I said "they" I was referring to authorities much farther up the food chain on a federal level.

Keep in mind that a great deal of acquired information may not be admissible in court but helps gather other information that is admissible.

Again I am not saying parts of our lives are no ones business but our own but those parts should not be divulged in any electronic communication if you want them to remain private.

We all must remember that certain types of communication do not have the same protections that other forms do.

using antivirus and firewall is not to protect yourself against goverment, but against hackers and idiots :winkwink: :2 cents:

Right. Endless examples. The checks and balances are out of date, as are our electronic privacy laws. It is the wild wild west, even for law enforcement, with some of the extensive information they can legally obtain because of loopholes. We're on the same page though. I'm saying we need to be mindful of the slippery slope as it does exist and has serious consequences for us all. Government & business now encroach more on our privacy rights then ever before thanks to outdated laws and exploitive user agreements, to say the least.:thumbsup