Tails OS merges with Tor Project for better privacy, security

The Tor Project and Tails OS are merging operations to better collaborate for a free internet by protecting users from surveillance and censorship.

The idea of the merger came late last year from Tails, due to the organization outgrowing the existing structure and to protect its workers from the added stress of expanding the framework.

"By joining forces, the Tails team can now focus on their core mission of maintaining and improving Tails OS, exploring more and complementary use cases while benefiting from the larger organizational structure of The Tor Project," the Tails team says.

Tor (The Onion Router) is a global non-profit project that develops online privacy tools, most notably the Tor Browser, which anonymizes internet activity to protect users against tracking and surveillance.

Tails (The Amnesic Incognito Live System) is a portable Linux-based (Debian) operating system that runs from removable storage media,  and uses the Tor browser to route all data exchanges between the local system and the internet, thus providing a fundamental anonymization layer.

The two organizations have been collaborating closely for the past nine years and the merger allows a more efficient pooling of resources and expanded outreach to improve digital security tools.

“Incorporating Tails into the Tor Project's structure allows for easier collaboration, better sustainability, reduced overhead, and expanded training and outreach programs to counter a larger number of digital threats,” reads the joint announcement.

“In short, coming together will strengthen both organizations' ability to protect people worldwide from surveillance and censorship.”

From its side, Tails explains that it needed an operational structure better suited to its growth, and integrating with Tor provides this support while enhancing the shared mission of defending internet freedom.

“Running Tails as an independent project for 15 years has been a huge effort, but not for the reasons you might expect. The toughest part wasn't the tech–it was handling critical tasks like fundraising, finances, and HR. After trying to manage those in different ways, I’m really relieved that Tails is now under the Tor Project’s wing. In a way, it feels like coming home.” – Intrigeri, Tails OS team lead

The move is also expected to boost user outreach for Tails OS, which lags a bit behind compared to the more popular and mainstream Tor Project.

For existing users of Tor Browser or Tails OS, the two projects will complement each other and will form a comprehensive solution that provides security at both the network and the operating system level.