eff/tor-legal-faq.html (053456852) - tor-webwml.git

0534568523ca00a56fe0186869016d96efc7e1b4

wrap the tor-legal-faq in o... Roger Dingledine authored 19 years ago	`1) <!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.1//EN" 2) "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml11/DTD/xhtml11.dtd">`
First commit of the EFF Tor... Chris Palmer authored 19 years ago	`3)`
wrap the tor-legal-faq in o... Roger Dingledine authored 19 years ago	`4) <html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en">`
First commit of the EFF Tor... Chris Palmer authored 19 years ago	`5) <head>`
wrap the tor-legal-faq in o... Roger Dingledine authored 19 years ago	`6) <title>Legal FAQ for Tor Server Operators</title> 7) <meta name="Author" content="EFF" /> 8) <meta http-equiv="content-type" content="text/html; charset=ISO-8859-1" /> 9) <link rel="stylesheet" type="text/css" href="../stylesheet.css" /> 10) <link rel="shortcut icon" type="image/x-icon" href="/favicon.ico" />`
First commit of the EFF Tor... Chris Palmer authored 19 years ago	`11) </head> 12) <body> 13)`
wrap the tor-legal-faq in o... Roger Dingledine authored 19 years ago	14) <div class="center"> 15) 16) <!-- TITLE BAR & NAVIGATION --> 17) <div class="banner"> 18) <table class="table-banner" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0"> 19) <tr> 20) <td class="spacer"> 21) <a href="http://tor.eff.org/"><img src="../images/spacer.png" 22) width="110" height="79" alt="Tor logo" /></a> 23) </td> 24) <td class="links" valign="top"> 25) <a href="../index.html">Home</a> \| 26) <a href="../howitworks.html">How It Works</a> \| 27) <a href="../download.html">Download</a> \| 28) <a href="../documentation.html">Docs</a> \| 29) <a href="../users.html">Users</a> \| 30) <a href="../faq.html">FAQ</a> \| 31) <a href="../contribute.html">Contribute</a> \| 32) <a href="../developers.html">Developers</a> \| 33) <a href="../research.html">Research</a> \| 34) <a href="../people.html">People</a> 35) </td> 36) </tr> 37) </table> 38) </div> 39) <!-- END TITLE BAR & NAVIGATION --> 40) 41) <div class="main-column"> 42) 43) <!-- PUT CONTENT AFTER THIS TAG --> 44) 45) <h2>Legal FAQ for Tor Server Operators</h2> 46) <hr />
commit tweaks to the tor le... Roger Dingledine authored 19 years ago	`47) <p>FAQ written by the Electronic Frontier 48) Foundation (<a href="http://www.eff.org/">EFF</a>). Last updated 23 Dec 2004.</p>`
First commit of the EFF Tor... Chris Palmer authored 19 years ago	`49) 50) <p><strong>NOTE:</strong> This FAQ is for informational purposes only 51) and does not constitute legal advice. EFF has not analyzed any`
commit tweaks to the tor le... Roger Dingledine authored 19 years ago	52) particular factual situation or laws in drafting this FAQ. Our aim is 53) to provide a general description of the legal issues surrounding 54) Tor. Different factual situations and different legal jurisdictions will 55) result in different answers to a number of questions. Therefore, please 56) do not act on this information alone; if you have any 57) specific legal problems, issues, or questions, seek a complete review of 58) your situation with a lawyer licensed to practice in your jurisdiction. 59) </p>
First commit of the EFF Tor... Chris Palmer authored 19 years ago	`60) 61) <p>Also, if you received this document from anywhere besides <a`
update the url that the tor... Roger Dingledine authored 19 years ago	`62) href="http://tor.eff.org/eff/tor-legal-faq.html">http://tor.eff.org/eff/tor-legal-faq.html</a>,`
First commit of the EFF Tor... Chris Palmer authored 19 years ago	`63) it may be out of date. Follow the link to get the latest version.</p> 64)`
separate the notice at the... Roger Dingledine authored 19 years ago	`65) <hr /> 66)`
First commit of the EFF Tor... Chris Palmer authored 19 years ago	`67) <h2>Has anyone ever been sued for running Tor?</h2> 68)`
tighten some of the tor-leg... Roger Dingledine authored 19 years ago	`69) <p><strong>No.</strong> Further, we believe that running a Tor node, 70) including a Tor exit node that allows people to anonymously send and 71) receive traffic, is lawful under U.S. law.</p>`
First commit of the EFF Tor... Chris Palmer authored 19 years ago	`72) 73) 74) <h2>Should I use Tor, or encourage the use of Tor, for illegal purposes 75) such as spamming, harassment, distribution of child porn, or copyright 76) infringement?</h2> 77) 78) <p><strong>No.</strong> Tor has been developed to be a tool for free`
commit tweaks to the tor le... Roger Dingledine authored 19 years ago	`79) speech, privacy, and human rights. It is not a tool designed or intended`
First commit of the EFF Tor... Chris Palmer authored 19 years ago	`80) to be used to break the law, either by Tor users or Tor server 81) operators.</p> 82) 83) <p>We further recommend that you not keep any potentially illegal files`
commit tweaks to the tor le... Roger Dingledine authored 19 years ago	`84) on the same machine you use for Tor, nor use that machine for any illegal 85) purpose. Although no Tor server has ever been seized, nor any server 86) operator subpoenaed, the future possibility cannot be ruled out. If that`
First commit of the EFF Tor... Chris Palmer authored 19 years ago	`87) happens, you will want your machine to be clean.</p> 88) 89) 90) <h2>Can EFF promise that I won’t get in trouble for running a Tor 91) server?</h2> 92) 93) <p><strong>No.</strong> All new technologies create legal uncertainties,`
commit tweaks to the tor le... Roger Dingledine authored 19 years ago	`94) and Tor is no exception to the rule. Presently, no court has ever considered any`
First commit of the EFF Tor... Chris Palmer authored 19 years ago	`95) case involving the Tor technology, and we therefore cannot guarantee 96) that you will never face any legal liability as a result of running a`
tighten some of the tor-leg... Roger Dingledine authored 19 years ago	`97) Tor server. However, we believe so strongly that you shouldn't be liable 98) for traffic that passes through your Tor server that we're running our 99) own Tor server. 100) </p>`
First commit of the EFF Tor... Chris Palmer authored 19 years ago	`101) 102) 103) <h2>Will EFF represent me if I get in trouble for running a Tor 104) server?</h2> 105) 106) <p><strong>Maybe.</strong> While EFF cannot promise legal representation 107) of all Tor server operators, it will assist server operators in 108) assessing the situation and will try to locate qualified legal counsel 109) when necessary. Inquiries to EFF for the purpose of securing legal 110) representation or referrals should be directed to staff attorney Kevin`
wrap the tor-legal-faq in o... Roger Dingledine authored 19 years ago	`111) Bankston (US +1 (415) 436-9333 x 126). Such inquiries will be kept 112) confidential subject to the limits of the attorney/client privilege.`
First commit of the EFF Tor... Chris Palmer authored 19 years ago	113) Note that although EFF cannot practice law outside of the U.S., it will 114) still try to assist non-U.S. server operators in finding local 115) representation.</p> 116) 117) 118) <h2>Should I contact the Tor developers when I have legal questions 119) about Tor or to inform them if I suspect Tor is being used for illegal 120) purposes?</h2> 121) 122) <p><strong>No.</strong> Tor’s core developers, Roger Dingledine 123) and Nick Mathewson, are available to answer technical questions, but 124) they are not lawyers and cannot give legal advice. Nor do they have any
wrap the tor-legal-faq in o... Roger Dingledine authored 19 years ago	`125) ability to prevent illegal activity that may occur through Tor servers.`
First commit of the EFF Tor... Chris Palmer authored 19 years ago	126) Furthermore, your communications with Tor’s core developers are 127) not protected by any legal privilege, so law enforcement or civil 128) litigants could subpoena and obtain any information you give to 129) them.</p> 130) 131) 132) <h2>If I receive a request from law enforcement or anyone else for my 133) Tor server’s logs, what should I do?</h2> 134) 135) <p><strong>Educate them about Tor.</strong> In most instances, properly 136) configured Tor servers will have no useful data for inquiring parties, 137) and you should feel free to educate them on this point. To the extent 138) you do maintain logs, however, you should not disclose them to any third 139) party without first consulting a lawyer. In the U.S., such a disclosure 140) may violate the Electronic Communications Privacy Act, and server 141) operators outside of the U.S. may be subject to similar data protection 142) laws.</p> 143) 144) <p>You may receive legal inquiries where you are prohibited by law from 145) telling anyone about the request. We believe that, at least in the 146) U.S., such gag orders do not prevent you from talking to a lawyer, 147) including calling a lawyer to find representation. Inquiries to EFF for 148) the purpose of securing legal representation should be directed to staff
fix a typo in the legal faq Roger Dingledine authored 19 years ago	`149) attorney Kevin Bankston (US +1 (415) 436-9333 x126). Such inquiries`
First commit of the EFF Tor... Chris Palmer authored 19 years ago	`150) will be kept confidential subject to the limits of the attorney/client 151) privilege.</p> 152) 153) <p>EFF is currently working on informational materials to help you 154) respond to the most likely types of legal requests or notices, so watch 155) this space.</p> 156) 157)`
wrap the tor-legal-faq in o... Roger Dingledine authored 19 years ago	`158) <h2>Should I snoop on the plaintext that exits through my Tor`
First commit of the EFF Tor... Chris Palmer authored 19 years ago	`159) server?</h2> 160) 161) <p><strong>No.</strong> You are technically capable of monitoring or`
commit tweaks to the tor le... Roger Dingledine authored 19 years ago	`162) logging plaintext that exits your node if you modify the Tor source`
First commit of the EFF Tor... Chris Palmer authored 19 years ago	`163) code or install additional software to enable such snooping. However, 164) Tor server operators in the U.S. can create legal and possibly even 165) criminal liability for themselves under state or federal wiretap laws if 166) they affirmatively monitor, log, or disclose Tor users’`
wrap the tor-legal-faq in o... Roger Dingledine authored 19 years ago	`167) communications, while non-U.S. operators may be subject to similar laws.`
First commit of the EFF Tor... Chris Palmer authored 19 years ago	168) Do not examine the contents of anyone’s communications without 169) first talking to a lawyer.</p> 170) 171) 172) <h2>Do Tor’s core developers make any promises about the 173) trustworthiness or reliability of Tor servers that are listed in their 174) directory?</h2> 175) 176) <p><strong>No.</strong> Although the developers attempt to verify that 177) Tor servers listed in the directory the core developers maintain are 178) stable and have adequate bandwidth, neither they nor EFF can guarantee 179) the personal trustworthiness or reliability of the individuals who run 180) those servers. Tor’s core developers further reserve the right to 181) refuse a Tor server operator’s request to be listed in their 182) directory or to remove any server from their directory for any 183) reason.</p> 184) 185) 186) <h2>Is the Tor software subject to any license terms?</h2> 187) 188) <p><strong>Yes.</strong> The Tor license is included in the software 189) download and reproduced below:</p> 190) 191) <p>Copyright (c) 2001-2004, Roger Dingledine<br />
commit tweaks to the tor le... Roger Dingledine authored 19 years ago	`192) Copyright (c) 2004-2005, Roger Dingledine, Nick Mathewson</p>`
First commit of the EFF Tor... Chris Palmer authored 19 years ago	193) 194) <p>Redistribution and use in source and binary forms, with or without 195) modification, are permitted provided that the following conditions are 196) met:</p> 197) 198) <ul> 199) 200) <li>Redistributions of source code must retain the above copyright 201) notice, this list of conditions and the following disclaimer.</li> 202) 203) <li>Redistributions in binary form must reproduce the above copyright 204) notice, this list of conditions and the following disclaimer in the 205) documentation and/or other materials provided with the 206) distribution.</li> 207) 208) <li>Neither the names of the copyright owners nor the names of its 209) contributors may be used to endorse or promote products derived from 210) this software without specific prior written permission.</li> 211)
wrap the tor-legal-faq in o... Roger Dingledine authored 19 years ago	`212) </ul> 213)`
First commit of the EFF Tor... Chris Palmer authored 19 years ago	214) <p>THIS SOFTWARE IS PROVIDED BY THE COPYRIGHT HOLDERS AND CONTRIBUTORS 215) “AS IS” AND ANY EXPRESS OR IMPLIED WARRANTIES, INCLUDING, 216) BUT NOT LIMITED TO, THE IMPLIED WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY AND 217) FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE ARE DISCLAIMED. IN NO EVENT SHALL THE 218) COPYRIGHT OWNER OR CONTRIBUTORS BE LIABLE FOR ANY DIRECT, INDIRECT, 219) INCIDENTAL, SPECIAL, EXEMPLARY, OR CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES (INCLUDING, BUT 220) NOT LIMITED TO, PROCUREMENT OF SUBSTITUTE GOODS OR SERVICES; LOSS OF 221) USE, DATA, OR PROFITS; OR BUSINESS INTERRUPTION) HOWEVER CAUSED AND ON 222) ANY THEORY OF LIABILITY, WHETHER IN CONTRACT, STRICT LIABILITY, OR TORT 223) (INCLUDING NEGLIGENCE OR OTHERWISE) ARISING IN ANY WAY OUT OF THE USE OF 224) THIS SOFTWARE, EVEN IF ADVISED OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGE.</p> 225)
wrap the tor-legal-faq in o... Roger Dingledine authored 19 years ago	`226) </div><!-- #main --> 227) </div>`