In light of doubts over certain claims, the crowdfunding platform has frozen the campaign for Anonabox, a small Internet router designed to deliver online anonymity by encrypting data over the Tor network. The project had already brought in close to $600,000 in just a few days on the site.
As funds poured in, the claims made by the Anonabox campaign came under closer scrutiny. Namely, critics pointed out the security shortcomings of the software and questioned the origin of the hardware, which appears to have been purchased from a Chinese supplier rather than custom-made as advertised. Kickstarter responded to the outcry by conducting a review, after which it informed funders that it was suspending the campaign due to its breach of Kickstarter rules. Meanwhile, the creators of Anonabox are crying censorship, pointing to the highly controversial nature of their project.
According to its creators, Anonabox would ensure total anonymity online by encrypting data traffic through the decentralized Tor network. Compact and lightweight, the device is designed to be hooked up to the user's Internet router and to devices used to access the Internet (Macs, PCs, tablets, phones). Operating through the Tor network would prevent websites from identifying the user's location data (IP address, country), which would mean the end of location-based censuring or restricted access to content.
The first Anonabox devices were slated for delivery in January 2015. For now, Kickstarter has frozen the campaign and cancelled all funding pledges. More information may be found at the Anonabox Kickstarter page, which remains online though suspended.
