Open Conversations: Privacy Is a Civic Technology (Isabela Fernandes)

Tor’s tools are designed for resistance. From volunteer-run relays to privacy-preserving browsers, the network creates real alternatives to systems built to track, sort, and silence. In this Open Conversation, Isabela Fernandes, Executive Director of The Tor Project, explains how control is written into the infrastructure of the internet and how we can better counter it. Privacy, she argues, is not a personal preference. It is a public right and a necessary condition for political democratic participation. Isabela reminds us that anonymity isn’t a shield for bad actors, but rather a safeguard for a free society. Filmed at Funding the Commons Forum Berlin, June 2025. Relevant Projects: The Tor Project: https://www.torproject.org Funding the Commons: https://www.fundingthecommons.io Thank You to Our Sponsors: Protocol Labs: https://www.protocol.ai NEAR Foundation: https://near.foundation Stellar Development Foundation: https://stellar.org Layer: https://layer.xyz Octant: https://octant.app human.tech by Holonym Foundation: https://human.tech/ Drips: https://drips.network Self Protocol: https://self.xyz/ Gitcoin: https://gitcoin.co