Opinion ID: 4561170
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: The Tor Network

Text: Croghan’s offense occurred using the Tor network.3 The Tor network is “a network that runs on top of the regular Internet” and operates as “a series of different computers that are all around the world.” Trial Tr., Vol. I, at 41, United States v. Croghan, No. 1:15-cr-00048-SMR-HCA-1 (S.D. Iowa Aug. 20, 2018), ECF No. 127. When a user connects to a website through the Tor network, the user’s Internet Protocol (IP) connection is bounced through multiple computers. The user’s IP address appears as the last computer funneled through the series of interconnected computers. A user must download special software and install the Tor browser on his or her computer to access the Tor network. Once the user downloads the software, he or she “can use the Tor network to access websites without revealing to those websites where [the user] actually [is].” Id. at 43. The user’s IP address is unavailable, and the user remains anonymous. “[T]he Tor network [also] has a feature which is known as Tor hidden services.” Id. at 44. This feature allows the user to host a website with the same anonymity by protecting the website administrator’s IP address. The website’s physical location is unknown. In addition, Tor hidden services also allow the users who are accessing the website’s location to be hidden. As a result, these users are 2 “We recite the facts in the light most favorable to the jury’s verdict.” United States v. Galloway, 917 F.3d 631, 632 (8th Cir. 2019) (internal quotation omitted). 3 “Tor” stands for “[t]he Onion Router.” United States v. Horton, 863 F.3d 1041, 1045 (8th Cir. 2017). -2- “able to communicate with each other through the Tor network without ever revealing to each other where the other is in the real world.” Id. at 45. “Tor hidden services are very heavily utilized for all types of criminal activity.” Id. at 50. For example, “Tor hidden services [are used] to create child pornography websites.” Id. With Tor hidden services, the uniform resource locator used to access a website is “16 randomly generated letters and numbers.” Id. at 46. “Within the Tor network, a user generally has to know the 16-digit or character string for a hidden service that [he or she] want[s] to access.” Id. at 48–49.