Anonymity for a healthy democracy with Isabela Fernandes [Tor Projectl Executive Director]

Thu, Oct 2, 2025, 12:00 AM

Tor Project is at the forefront of digital human rights. Millions of journalists, human rights lawyers, democratic governments, and activists use Tor to protect sensitive data. Isabela joined the Tor Project as Project Manager in 2015. And has been the Executive Director since November 2018. She's an important voice within freedom tech. Bridging complex ecosystem of actors contributing to open-source and privacy-preserving technologies. Timecodes 00:00 - Introduction to Tor & Isabella’s Background 01:40 - Misconceptions: Dark Web & Anonymity as Crime 03:00 - Privacy as a Human Right & Democracy’s Foundation 05:55 - How to Teach Privacy: Meeting People at the Right Moment 07:55 - Real-Life Use Cases of Tor (Parents, Doctors, Activists) 12:40 - Privacy, Censorship, and Political Threats 16:10 - Integrating Tech and Social Movements 20:10 - Digital Disobedience: Resisting Big Tech 22:50 - Cryptography, Blockchain, and Community Economies 28:35 - Local Economies, Repair Culture, and Decentralization 35:00 - Future of Technology: Sustainability & Local Ownership 40:55 - Optimism & Sustaining the Fight for Rights 45:20 - The Growth of Tor: From One Email to Millions of Users 47:10 - Closing: Patience as a Tool for Resistance recorded at Funding The Commons forum, Berlin: http://fundingthecommons.io/berlin-2025 Useful links http://torproject.org http://web3privacy.info http://academy.web3privacy.info Camera & sound: https://x.com/BabyBitProd Interviewer: https://x.com/0xfarbey Let privacy be with you!