Zift Advisory
The Red Onion app allows users to access the internet and browse anonymously. Red Onion is only available for iOS devices, and can be purchased in the App Store for $1.99. Users must be 17 years and older to download this app and it is not recommended for kids.
What is Red Onion - Tor-powered web browser for anonymous browsing and darknet?
Using a Tor network, Red Onion users are able to surf the internet virtually invisible and without leaving a trace. The Red Onion is an app that allows users to browse the internet anonymously, without leaving a trace or acquiring cookies.
While this technology has existed for traditional desktops, it doesn’t protect (or obscure) mobile devices, which is where Red Onion comes in. When the Red Onion app is used, a user’s internet access is circumvented through the Tor network, keeping a user’s IP address obscured from the websites they visit, and virtually any internet filter or censor is bypassed (such as school or corporate networks).
The added bonus of using Red Onion is that cookies are cleared when users exit the app, leaving no trace of their browsing history accessible on their mobile device.
It’s important to note that, due to how the app works to route internet access, internet browsing through Red Onion will be significantly slower than through a regular browser, such as Safari or Chrome. And because Red Onion saves a user’s browsing history within the app, the app is protected with a passcode and/ or touch ID.
Is Red Onion - Tor-powered web browser for anonymous browsing and darknet safe for my kids?
This is one of those apps that is a double-edged sword for parents, as there are both positive and negative aspects of an anonymous browser, especially when used by minors.
It should be noted that Red Onion’s terms of service state that users must be 17 years or older to download the app. Because of the anonymous nature of this browser, it is not safe for kids.
To understand what Red Onion is, parents must first understand what a Tor browser is. Short for “The Onion Router,” a Tor browser directs, or bounces, internet traffic across a worldwide network of servers, essentially masking a user’s location and browsing habits.
Why do this? Well, some people simply use these browsers to ensure that they are completely secured when browsing the internet, safeguarding against invasions of privacy and personal information. Others use Tor browsers for more nefarious purposes, such as hacking or accessing the darknet.
For those unfamiliar with darknet, the best way to describe it is as a virtual black market. People use the darknet to conduct transactions for illegal weapons, drugs, post and look at child pornography, or engage in any otherwise illegal or suspicious behavior.
Parents should be concerned, should they find the Red Onion app on their child’s phone.
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