Russians can now access Twitter over the Tor network

After blocking Facebook, the Russian communications watchdog also restricted Twitter's access. But now, Russian users can access it using the Tor browser.

Tor (formerly an acronym for "The Onion Router") is being used for bypassing censorship and surveillance, visiting websites anonymously, and accessing Tor hidden services (.onion sites).

Systems & Network Security Engineer Alec Muffett has assisted Twitter engineers in launching a page on the Tor Project.

"This is possibly the most important and long-awaited tweet that I've ever composed. On behalf of @Twitter, I am delighted to announce their new @TorProject onion service," he tweeted.

Users will need to install Tor Browser to access the social network. The address for Twitter on Tor is https://twitter3e4tixl4xyajtrzo62zg5vztmjuricljdp2c5kshju4avyoid.onion.

Twitter listed Tor as an officially supported browser.

However, Tor has been a target of Russian censorship, too. According to the Tor Project itself, last December, some Internet providers in Russia started to block access to Tor. Users can still access Tor using so-called bridges.

Bridge relays are Tor relays that are not listed in the public Tor directory. That means that ISPs or governments trying to block access to the Tor network can't simply block all bridges.

As more IT, streaming, and communications companies announce their leave, Russians turn to VPNs to avoid total isolation. We have gathered a list of the best VPNs for Russia in 2022.