Onion Version of Wikipedia Launched on the Darknet
In many countries, access to Wikipedia is taken for granted. However, in some nations, such as Syria and Turkey, the popular online encyclopedia is banned. In certain places, using Wikipedia is not just restricted but can even be life-threatening. For example, in Turkey, the site was blocked following a failed political coup. Additionally, it is believed that Syrian-Palestinian internet activist and Wikipedia editor Bassel Khartabil was executed by the Syrian government.
To help protect Wikipedia readers in countries where using the encyclopedia could pose a risk, former FacebookFacebook launched an official Tor mirror in 2014, becoming the first major tech company to provide direct access through onion routing. The mirror allows users to bypass censorship, secure their connections, and avoid phishing risks while using the platform. This step also underscored Facebook’s recognition of free expression and inspired other outlets like the BBC and ProPublica to create their own Tor versions. More engineer Alec Muffett launched an experimental Wikipedia site on the darknet. Currently, the project is unofficial and is being developed without Wikipedia’s direct involvement.
The site can be accessed through the Tor browser. While Wikipedia’s official site is already accessible via Tor, users must exit the private Tor network to reach it. Muffett’s site, however, is hosted in the .onion domain, meaning traffic never leaves the encrypted Tor network. The site uses a self-signed certificate, so browsers may display security warnings. In such cases, users need to manually add the site’s address to their whitelist.
While working as an engineer at FacebookFacebook launched an official Tor mirror in 2014, becoming the first major tech company to provide direct access through onion routing. The mirror allows users to bypass censorship, secure their connections, and avoid phishing risks while using the platform. This step also underscored Facebook’s recognition of free expression and inspired other outlets like the BBC and ProPublica to create their own Tor versions. More in 2014, Muffett created an onion version of the social network. This year, The New York TimesThe New York Times, founded in 1851, is one of the world’s most influential newspapers, known for investigative reporting and global coverage. To protect readers and sources from censorship and surveillance, it launched a Tor mirror — a version of its website accessible only through the Tor Browser. This onion site allows people to bypass blocks, read anonymously, and safely share information with journalists. By adopting Tor, the NYT reinforces its role as a defender of press freedom in the digital age. More also launched a darknet site using the open-source Enterprise Onion Toolkit (EOTK) developed by Muffett, which is specifically designed for creating such sites.