[tor-talk] Tor: lobbies vs lobbies - Who will prevail?

[adrelanos <adrelanos@xxxxxxxxxx>]

There are various lobbies.
- Some "Pro-Tor" (also pro privacy, pro any anonymity network).
- Some "Anti-Tor".

"Pro-Tor" lobbies:
- journalists
- https://www.torproject.org/about/torusers.html.en
- Perhaps mostly notable: Tor was originally designed, implemented, and
deployed as a third-generation onion routing project of the ***Naval
Research Laboratory***. It was originally developed with the ***U.S.
Navy*** in mind, for the primary purpose of protecting government
communications. [1]

Strong "Anti-Tor" lobbies and arguments:
- anti cp
If they Use-Tor-right, especially the only-downloaders, the they can
never get caught. Unsatisfactory.
- anti drugs [2]
Silkroad runs and runs and runs for a loooong time. Unsatisfactory.
- copyright infringements
If they Use-Tor-right, especially the only-downloaders, the can download
and download and download and never get caught. DMCA for the exit node
and again and again. "We can do nothing." in response. Unsatisfactory.

Solution for anti-Tor lobbies? Propose anti-Tor, anti-anon proxy law.
(Forbidden to develop, forbid to provide download, forbid to download,
forbid to use, forbidde to host servers, etc.) Could happen in any
"free" country, including US. Then send lots of donations to politicians
and beg for it, send even more donations. The typical lobbying.

So who has more power in this fight? I think the anti-Tor lobbies are
not to be underestimated and I seriously fear that Tor is going to loose
the battle within the next years. The political climate with laws like
ACTA, PIPA etc. makes that plausible for me. Glad if you can prove me wrong.

[1] https://www.torproject.org/about/torusers.html.en
[2]
http://gawker.com/5932924/booming-silk-road-drug-market-boasts-22-million-per-year-in-sales-fancy-redesign
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