Tor's new executive director is a digital privacy legend
The anonymity network project has picked Shari Steele, the EFF's former leader, as its executive director.
Tor's anonymizing internet technology is already vital to whistleblowers, human rights advocates and others who value their digital privacy. It only makes sense that the project team should hire a privacy champion to help lead its efforts, doesn't it? Sure enough, Tor is doing just that: it's appointing Electronic Frontier Foundation veteran Shari Steele as its executive director. She led the EFF's efforts to fund Tor a decade ago, and spurred online security initiatives like HTTPS Everywhere. There's no doubt that she knows what Tor can do to protect your data, then.
Steele isn't too specific about where she's taking Tor next, but her inaugural blog post makes it clear that she's ambitious. She not only wants a "more sustainable infrastructure" for the project, but to expand its reach among the mainstream -- people who may not know the first thing about the "deep web." If Steele is successful, you may well see Tor in use by less tech-savvy friends who still care about protecting their personal info.
[Image credit: AP Photo/Jeff Chiu]
