Tails' documentation states that using a VPN with Tor DECREASES anonymity. Why? I is confused

https://tails.boum.org/blueprint/vpn_support/

Without a VPN, your ISP can tell you are using Tor, yes? Isn't this a bad thing?


Comments


[5 Points] SockPuppetCentral:

Just in case anyone misses it... The final link on that torplusvpn page is a post from one of tor's lead devs who sums it up really well - https://lists.torproject.org/pipermail/tor-talk/2012-January/022917.html.


[4 Points] SockPuppetCentral:

https://trac.torproject.org/projects/tor/wiki/doc/TorPlusVPN

More balanced of pros and cons there.


[1 Points] None:

It's bad if you are in a place that censors traffic, or you do not want to be linked with having used the TOR network. Because with a VPN it requires more hops through the network, and one could also be traced back to having owned a VPN account, which is tunneling TOR traffic through it.


[0 Points] galaxyandspace:

If your ISP can tell you are using Tor, it doesn't mean much, to most people [Edit:] based in the USA. All they can really see is encrypted traffic, flowing to somewhere unknown.

Edit2: This varies from country to country, do to different laws.