Wikipedia:Advice to users using Tor

This is an explanatory essay about the Open proxies policy.

This page provides additional information about concepts in the page(s) it supplements. This page is not one of Wikipedia's policies or guidelines as it has not been thoroughly vetted by the community.

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WP:TOR

Tor is an anonymity and censorship circumvention network. Due to abuse by vandals, Tor exit nodes are usually blocked from editing Wikipedia. Tor users who wish to edit Wikipedia have to request IP block exemption. No restrictions are placed on reading Wikipedia through Tor.

Tor users should be met with good faith, as there are good reasons to use anonymity networks. In countries that censor Wikipedia or block it completely,^[1] it is one of the few ways of accessing Wikipedia. Additionally, in light of governmental surveillance programs, users may choose to use Tor in order to exercise their right to anonymity.

Technical details

The policy on open proxies allows open proxies to be blocked from editing at any time for any duration. Currently, the MediaWiki software's TorBlock extension automatically blocks all editing through Tor, except where an account has been granted IP block exemption. Because Tor is often abused by vandals, users of the English language Wikipedia will often find that Tor exit nodes have been completely blocked, prohibiting account creation and editing by registered users (without block exemption).

IP block exemption

Registered users in good standing can ask for IP block exemption to be enabled on their accounts. The exemption allows logged-in users to edit from IP addresses that are nominally blocked. IP block exemptions for this purpose should be requested by following these instructions. However, it may be difficult to establish good standing and remain completely anonymous, as the former requires editing without using Tor.

Closed proxy

A group of Wikipedia editors have set up several closed proxy servers that can be used by editors normally blocked from editing by the Chinese firewall. Users who wish to use one of these proxies to edit can find more information at the WikiProject on closed proxies.

Alternative proxies

Tor, one of the most famous anonymity browsers, is the only anonymity network which is systematically blocked on Wikipedia. Other anonymising proxies are likely to be blocked, but many are not. Some may be only soft-blocked, allowing an account to be established.

Need an account and can't create one?

Follow the same instructions under § IP block exemption.

Notes

^ For example, Turkey (at least, in the 2nd quarter of 2017); see [e.g.,] the following "{{cite news}}" reference, which was copied (on August 1, 2017) from this recent version of the Wikipedia article [about] "Tor (anonymity network)"]: PATRICK KINGSLEY (June 10, 2017). "Turks Click Away, but Wikipedia Is Gone". The New York Times. Retrieved June 11, 2017.; See also 2017 block of Wikipedia in Turkey.

[1] For example, Turkey (at least, in the 2nd quarter of 2017); see [e.g.,] the following "{{cite news}}" reference, which was copied (on August 1, 2017) from this recent version of the Wikipedia article [about] "Tor (anonymity network)"]: PATRICK KINGSLEY (June 10, 2017). "Turks Click Away, but Wikipedia Is Gone". The New York Times. Retrieved June 11, 2017.; See also 2017 block of Wikipedia in Turkey.

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