The Onion Router (also known as Tor) is an open source, multi-layered network designed to improve online anonymity and protect against network surveillance. When using Tor, a user’s internet traffic is randomly redirected through an extensive network of relays run by volunteers around the world. Each relay in the network encrypts and randomly replaces the user’s connection data multiple times, making it difficult to trace the user’s online activity. As the data passes through each relay, the layers of encryption foil any attempt to trace the user’s location or identity. When the data reaches its destination, the final layer of encryption is removed and the user’s true IP address is hidden from view.