Facebook's increased support for secretive logins through The Onion Router (Tor) has seen a new record of more than a million anonymous users.
This online platform allows users to access different sites on the Internet without leaving any online trace or digital trails, thereby granting them anonymity in various setups, be it social networking or other "activities."
"Tor is free software and an open network that helps you defend against traffic analysis, a form of network surveillance that threatens personal freedom and privacy, confidential business activities and relationships, and state security," the website describes itself.
Using a complex network of Internet relays bounced through a system of volunteer-based networks, users can anonymously access sites that may be restricted by their government or tapped by various surveillance bodies that could otherwise be infringing upon their rights.
As to why Facebook has been providing various Tor support models for its users, like its secure online web address, Tor-based messenger, and even its Android platform, the company says that it values people's concern in protecting their privacy.
"People who choose to communicate over Tor do so for a variety of reasons related to privacy, security and safety. As we've written previously it's important to us to provide methods for people to use our services securely -- particularly if they lack reliable methods to do so," the company writes in its press release.
Facebook reveals that over the last couple of months, the use of Tor-based platforms to access its website has seen an estimated linear increase of about 100 percent growth from June 2015. Previously measured at about 525,000 anonymous logins over a typical 30-day period, the numbers have shot to more than a million logins just this month.
A spokeswoman from Tor, explains this phenomenon in an interview, stating that Tor's online infrastructure of complex network relays gives users added security measures to protect their private information from let's say, hackers and unwarranted spying.
The social media company, on the other hand, explains that this may be a "reflection" of the various reasons why people access Facebook through Tor, which is not really explaining much.
We can only infer from this statement that Facebook will continue to support anonymous logins on its site and will not be stopping anytime soon.
