<page xmlns="http://projectmallard.org/1.0/"
      type="topic"
      id="about-tor-browser">

  <info>
    <link type="guide" xref="index" group="one" />
    <desc>Learn what Tor Browser can do to protect your privacy and anonymity</desc>
  </info>

  <title>About Tor Browser</title>

    <p>
      Tor Browser uses the Tor network to protect your privacy and
      anonymity. Using the Tor network has two main properties:
    </p>
    <list>
      <item>
        <p>
	  Your internet service provider, and anyone watching your connection
	  locally, will not be able to track your internet activity, including
	  the names and addresses of the websites you visit.
        </p>
      </item>
      <item>
        <p>
          The operators of the websites and services that you use, and
          anyone watching them, will see a connection coming from the
          Tor network instead of your real Internet (IP) address, and
          will not know who you are unless you explicitly identify
          yourself.
        </p>
      </item>
    </list>
    <p>
      In addition, Tor Browser is designed to prevent websites from
      “fingerprinting” or identifying you based on your browser
      configuration.
    </p>
    <p>
      By default, Tor Browser does not keep any browsing history.
      Cookies are only valid for a single session (until Tor Browser
      is exited or a <link xref='managing-identities#new-identity'>New
      Identity</link> is requested).
    </p>

    <!-- XXX: ask Tor Browser team/mikeperry about things that are worth
    adding here. -->

  <section id="how-tor-works">
    <title>How Tor works</title>

    <p>
      Tor is a network of virtual tunnels that allows you to improve your
      privacy and security on the Internet. Tor works by sending your
      traffic through three random servers (also known as <em>relays</em>)
      in the Tor network. The last relay in the circuit (the “exit relay”)
      then sends the traffic out onto the public Internet.
    </p>
    <media type="image" width="600" src="media/how-tor-works.png" />
    <p>
      The image above illustrates a user browsing to different websites
      over Tor. The green middle computers represent relays in the Tor
      network, while the three keys represent the layers of encryption
      between the user and each relay.
    </p>
  </section>
</page>