Tor Browser 5.5.5 is released

Many Tor users have expressed the fear that FBI will begin "interviewing", serving subpoenas upon (possibly using NSL's accompanied by eternal gag orders), arresting, or outright "disappearing" TP employees and volunteers. Consequently, we have urged TP to consider relocating lead developers and other key Tor people to safer locations in other countries, such as Germany, Norway, or Iceland.

And now comes evidence that FBI is attempting to intimidate Tor employees who are preparing to emigrate (not necessarily because of our fears about the poor prospects for TP in Comey's America!):

https://www.techdirt.com
FBI Harassing Core Tor Developer, Demanding She Meet With Them, But Refusing To Explain Why
from the not-cool-fbi dept
5 May 2016

> Isis Agora Lovecruft is a lead software developer for Tor and has worked on Tor for many years, as well as on a variety of other security and encryption products, including Open Whisper Systems and the LEAP Encryption Access Project. And, apparently, the FBI would really like to talk to her, but won't tell her (or her lawyer) exactly why.

https://www.ibtimes.co.uk/tor-developer-isis-agora-lovecruft-publicly-a…
Tor developer Isis Agora Lovecruft publicly accuses the FBI of harassment
Jason Murdock
6 May 2016

> [The harassment] reportedly started with a house visit from the FBI and escalated to the threat of a federal subpoena. For one member of the Tor Project's core development team, named Isis Agora Lovecruft, the past six months have been characterized by stress, confusion and underhand threats at the hands of US law enforcement. Now, she has publicly accused the agency of harassment.

https://blog.patternsinthevoid.net/fbi-harassment.html
FBI Harassment
Sunday, 01 May 2016
By isis agora lovecruft

> [Special Agent Kevin Porter, FBI Atlanta field office, on the phone with her lawyer:] "We… uh… have some documents we’d like her opinion on."

And if she declines to be interviewed?

> ... "We have teams in Los Angeles, San Francisco, Chicago, New York, and Atlanta keeping an eye out for her."

> [Special Agent Mark Burrnett, FBI LA Field Office, on the phone with her laywer:] "are you the point of contact for serving a subpoena? She’s not the target of investigation, but, uh… we uh… need her to clear up her involvement or… uh… potential involvement in a matter.”

In her blog post, Isis asked:

> Is this really how the United States has decided to treat American tech workers? Am I just the forerunner in a larger campaign by the FBI to personally go after developers of encryption software which annoys them?

Intimidation and threats: standard tactics straight from their "suasion" playbook.

FBI probably wants many things from Isis, but one thing they are almost certainly trying to do is to identify a key Tor person they think they can bully into becoming a secret informant inside TP, or even into allowing FBI to abuse their signing key in order to perform such criminal actions as serving malware to ordinary citizens which has been disguised as LEAP or some other good thing which people need in order to live free.

The interview might begin with a misleading suggestion that the agents are trying to *protect* the employee from some (possibly exaggerated or even entirely imaginary) threat, e.g. they might claim to have information that a third party (e.g. the Russian government) is planning to harm the subject. It might continue with a discursive discussion intended to elicit information about the subject's character, motivations, and personal weaknesses.

When agents step out of the room where the subject is detained, it is likely that they are conferring not only with each other about their next moves, but with a psychologist consultant who is building a model of the subject's psychological vulnerabilities, and counseling the agents on how to exploit them.

After some time, there might be a rapid fire sequence of sudden shifts in the questioning, which is intended to confuse and disorient the subject.

Specific suasion techniques often employed (probably ineffective with Tor Project employees, but the G-men might fall back upon these out of ingrained habit) include these:

o appeals to pride in technical accomplishments ("your unique skills could be put to better use serving your country") or to a desire to change the world ("you could have enormous influence on future policy decisions by the US government"),

o vague (and false) promises of personal financial benefit should the employee cooperate,

o attempts to shock the employee into "flipping", by presenting horrifying graphic imagery of the aftermath of a terrorist bombing, or especially objectionable pron,

o vague insinuations of a criminal case or other unpleasantness (such as an IRS audit or ruinous civil lawsuit) which can be made to "disappear" if the employee agrees to become an FBI mole,

o explicit dire threats, such as the promise that if the employee refuses to become a mole, "you will die in an isolation cell in the Supermax prison in Colorado".

It would not be a bad idea for TP to offer its key employees a seminar in the old-fashioned Reid technique, the "Big Man" technique (favored by RCMP), the techniques taught to US Army interrogators at Fort Huachuca, accounts from former Gitmo detainees of their own interrogations, etc.

It is also important to know that representatives from other government agencies (such as CIA, NSA, NCIS, USAF) might well sit in, and may even misrepresent themselves as FBI agents. This ought to be illegal, but in matters of Tor, it is likely that the US government recognizes no rules it is bound to obey.

The interrogators will be trying to trick you into saying something they can exploit to bring further pressure to bear upon you, but it is important to remember that at some points they will probably make their own mistakes, for example by making a damaging admission, or by revealing their own psychological weaknesses, frustrations, motivations, or accidentally hinting at what they ultimately hope to accomplish by "turning" you, incarcerating you, torturing you, whatever.

FBI is an extremely dangerous rogue agency, and it will only become more vicious as time goes on.

It is important to recognize that the next US President will effectively be chosen by FBI. Despite disclaimers from the Clinton campaign, there is a very real possibility that Ms. Clinton (not just her closest aides) will be indicted. If that happens, Trump will almost certainly be elected, which may result in succession by some of the more anti-fascist states. If it doesn't, Clinton will almost certainly have cut some secret deal with Comey in order to avoid prosecution, basically making her FBI's woman in the White House. Scary times.

A million thanks to the Tor developers and volunteers for all your hard work and dedication!