In an era where the average smartphone acts as a constant surveillance beacon, The Hated One cuts through the noise with a stark reality check: your device is likely broadcasting your location to hundreds of servers daily. This piece is notable not just for its technical instructions, but for its unflinching argument that true anonymity requires a fundamental shift in how we view our hardware, specifically favoring Android over iOS for privacy-conscious users.
The Surveillance Reality
The Hated One opens by dismantling the illusion of privacy in modern mobile usage. "If you're like most phone users you've installed over 60 apps on your device most of those apps contain trackers that communicate your data with dozens of potential third parties every day," they write. This framing is crucial because it moves the conversation from abstract privacy concerns to the tangible mechanics of "surveillance capitalism." The author argues that the Onion Router (Tor) is not a tool for the paranoid, but an essential line of defense for anyone who values their digital footprint.
The core of the argument rests on the idea that Tor conceals your true location by hiding your IP address, making it "impossible for attackers to target you based on your ip address with malicious javascript or updates." This is a powerful claim, yet it is tempered with necessary realism. The Hated One is careful to note that Tor "does not make you unhackable but sort of living off the grid." This distinction is vital; it manages expectations while still advocating for the technology as the "next best thing" for anonymity.
The Android Advantage
Perhaps the most controversial and distinctive claim in the piece is the outright dismissal of the iPhone for serious privacy work. The Hated One writes, "The freedom to reliably use without any restrictions is why android is a much more superior choice for online privacy and anonymity than an iphone." They explain that iOS lacks an official Tor application and cannot run Tor system-wide, a limitation that forces users into a compromised state of partial anonymity.
Critics might note that this stance alienates a massive demographic of users who prioritize ecosystem integration over granular control, but the technical reality supports the author's conclusion. For those who must use a single device, the author suggests a hybrid approach: routing only specific apps through Tor while leaving the rest on the clear net. However, they warn that "signing into accounts tied to your real identity can also correlate your tour activity with those accounts and that can de-anonymize you." This highlights the delicate balance between convenience and security that most users fail to navigate.
The more people use Tor, the better everyone gets; targeting Tor users is much more demanding on time resources and scale than targeting regular people.
Operational Security and Browser Hardening
Moving from hardware to software, the commentary shifts to the critical importance of browser configuration. The Hated One emphasizes that the Tor Browser is not a standard web browser; it requires active management. "Every time you visit a website your browser is rendering javascript code that can be attempting to exploit vulnerabilities on your phone," they caution. To mitigate this, the author recommends the "safest mode," which disables all JavaScript and media.
This recommendation is strong because it addresses the root cause of many digital de-anonymizations: fingerprinting. Even benign content like ads or videos can be used to track users. The Hated One argues that "even if they deliver content that doesn't seem malicious... they are still used to fingerprint track and de-anonymize you." While this may render many modern websites unusable, the author insists it is the price of maximum anonymity. They suggest that users who need specific features can temporarily trust scripts on specific domains, a nuanced approach that balances security with functionality.
Furthermore, the piece details how to prevent data leaks when using Tor system-wide on Android via the Orbot application. By enabling "always on vpn" and blocking connections without a VPN, users can ensure no app bypasses the encrypted tunnel. The Hated One also touches on the utility of Tor bridges, which make Tor traffic look like regular internet traffic to ISPs and governments, a critical feature for users in censored regions.
The Human Element
Ultimately, the piece concludes that technology is only as strong as the user's discipline. The Hated One writes, "The final advice is to always keep in mind that tor is not all you need to remain anonymous it is essential but you need to be smart about what you do and disclose on the internet." This is a sobering reminder that no amount of encryption can protect a user who voluntarily reveals their identity.
The argument that "the more you use tor the more expensive and less useful collection of your and our private data becomes" reframes privacy as a collective good. It suggests that widespread adoption dilutes the value of surveillance data, making the effort to track individuals less profitable for bad actors.
Bottom Line
The Hated One delivers a technically rigorous and uncompromising guide that correctly identifies Android as the superior platform for privacy, while offering a pragmatic path for iOS users to mitigate their risks. The strongest part of the argument is the insistence that disabling JavaScript is non-negotiable for true anonymity, a stance that challenges the modern web's reliance on dynamic content. However, the biggest vulnerability remains the human factor; the most sophisticated Tor configuration is useless if the user fails to maintain operational security in their daily digital behavior.