German police raid Tor-linked group in bid to uncover Tor network users

Article 5 eV, a civil rights group helping to maintain the Tor network, has reported that German police raided the private address where the non-profit was registered. The authorities say they were looking for illegal materials.

The authorities came knocking at the Essen-based office on August 16th, 2024, the group said, with armed officers spending nearly two hours in the office. Article 5 eV facilitates Tor network by operating its exit nodes.

“There are obviously still people working in German law enforcement today, who think that harassing a node-operator NGO would somehow lead to the de-anonymization of individual Tor users. At least that is what they claim in the paperwork,” Gero Kühn, the leader of the group, said.

Tor network, used for anonymous communications and accessing the darkweb, anonymizes user’s connection path by relaying the data via multiple computers (nodes). Traffic anonymity is maintained by encrypting everything except the exit node, the final computer where traffic returns to the regular internet.

Privacy enthusiast groups like Article 5 eV unite like-minded individuals who aim to ensure that there are enough exit nodes on the network.

Kühn claims that the group will legally challenge the authorities about the search warrant issued by Essen authorities, adding that he no longer feels willing to provide personal address and office space for the organization to operate.

“These were once again one and a half hours with armed police in a personal living room, threatening to de-facto kill the livelihood and software business of a non-profit board member to force cooperation,” Kühn wrote on a Tor project forum.

Users on Hacker News, an IT news-oriented social network, shared similar experiences in the past, saying they’ve been threatened by law enforcement until they opted not to operate exit nodes. Others pointed out that’s precisely what the law enforcement agencies are aiming for.

Article 5 eV said the organization will meet in late September to discuss how to react to the raid.

Meanwhile, in an email received on September 24th, Essen police representatives told Cybernews the police raided the place suspecting possession and distribution of child pornography.

“On August 16th, our unit for combating child pornography has conducted searches based on suspicion of possession and distribution of child pornography in accordance with Section 184 of the German Criminal Code (StGB),” Essen police representatives said.

Updated on October 3rd [08:40 a.m. GMT] with a statement from the Essen police.