The Tor Browser Team is proud to announce the second alpha release based on Firefox 38 ESR. This release is also the fourth and final alpha in the 5.0 series. The release is available for download in the 5.0a4 distribution directory and on the alpha download page.

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Most notably, this release contains an experimental defense against font fingerprinting by using an identical set of shipped fonts on all supported platforms. We've also updated the versions of several Tor Browser components, including updating Tor to 0.2.7.2-alpha. The 5.0-stable release will be based on Tor 0.2.6-latest, however.

Last but not least we fixed a lot of important bugs that were due to our switch to Firefox 38 ESR, including issues with major websites such as Twitter. This release brings us very close to a stable Tor Browser 5.0, which we aim to release next week. Unless we hear about additional issues, not much will change between 5.0a4 and 5.0-stable, aside from the Tor version and possibly the font defense.

Here is the complete changelog since 5.0a3

• All Platforms
  • Update Tor to 0.2.7.2-alpha with patches
    • Bug 15482: Don't allow circuits to change while a site is in use
  • Update OpenSSL to 1.0.1p
  • Update HTTPS-Everywhere to 5.0.7
  • Update NoScript to 2.6.9.31
  • Update Torbutton to 1.9.3.1
    • Bug 16268: Show Tor Browser logo on About page
    • Bug 16639: Check for Updates menu item can cause update download failure
    • Bug 15781: Remove the sessionstore filter
    • Bug 15656: Sync privacy.resistFingerprinting with Torbutton pref
    • Translation updates
  • Bug 16884: Prefer IPv6 when supported by the current Tor exit
  • Bug 16488: Remove "Sign in to Sync" from the browser menu
  • Bug 13313: Bundle a fixed set of fonts to defend against fingerprinting
  • Bug 16662: Enable network.http.spdy.* prefs in meek-http-helper
  • Bug 15646: Prevent keyboard layout fingerprinting in KeyboardEvent (fixup)
  • Bug 15703: Isolate mediasource URIs and media streams to first party
  • Bug 16429+16416: Isolate blob URIs to first party
  • Bug 16632: Turn on the background updater and restart prompting
  • Bug 16528: Prevent IndexedDB Modernizr site breakage on Twitter and elsewhere
  • Bug 16523: Fix in-browser JavaScript debugger
  • Bug 16236: Windows updater: avoid writing to the registry
  • Bug 16005: Restrict WebGL minimal mode a bit (fixup)
  • Bug 16625: Fully disable network connection prediction
  • Bug 16495: Fix SVG crash when security level is set to "High"
• Build System
  • Bug 15864: Rename sha256sums.txt to sha256sums-unsigned-build.txt

Why we need Tor
Using Tor protects you against a common form of Internet surveillance known as "traffic analysis." Traffic analysis can be used to infer who is talking to whom over a public network. Knowing the source and destination of your Internet traffic allows others to track your behavior and interests. This can impact your checkbook if, for example, an e-commerce site uses price discrimination based on your country or institution of origin. It can even threaten your job and physical safety by revealing who and where you are. For example, if you're travelling abroad and you connect to your employer's computers to check or send mail, you can inadvertently reveal your national origin and professional affiliation to anyone observing the network, even if the connection is encrypted.

Hidden services
Tor Browser also makes it possible for users to hide their locations while offering various kinds of services, such as web publishing or an instant messaging server. Using Tor "rendezvous points," other Tor users can connect to these hidden services, each without knowing the other's network identity. This hidden service functionality could allow Tor users to set up a website where people publish material without worrying about censorship. Nobody would be able to determine who was offering the site, and nobody who offered the site would know who was posting to it. Learn more about configuring hidden services and how the hidden service protocol works.

Staying anonymous
Tor can't solve all anonymity problems. It focuses only on protecting the transport of data. You need to use protocol-specific support software if you don't want the sites you visit to see your identifying information. For example, you can use Tor Browser while browsing the web to withhold some information about your computer's configuration.


If you like to try alpha releases and you are really concerned about your privacy, this is the tool.

Download

 

I had to disable Ghostery in firefox to download it. Funny, in a weird way, for Tor to track me.