ReporTor: Facilitating User Reporting of Issues Encountered in Naturalistic Web Browsing via Tor Browser
Authors: Nicholas Micallef (Swansea University), Cameron Cartier (Black Hills Information Security, Inc.), Kevin Gallagher (NOVA LINCS, NOVA School of Science and Technology), Lucas Zagal (University of Utah), Sameer Patil (University of Utah)
Volume: 2026
Issue: 1
Pages: 393–410
DOI: https://doi.org/10.56553/popets-2026-0020
Abstract: The privacy properties of Tor Browser and the privacy sensitivity of its user base preclude the collection of traditional telemetry and analytics to understand the problems users face. To address the lack of telemetry and analytics, we developed ReporTor, a plugin to facilitate anonymous, voluntary reporting of problems during naturalistic browsing via Tor Browser. We confirmed the utility and effectiveness of ReporTor by reporting the problems we encountered during a month of naturalistic web browsing via Tor Browser. Reports submitted via ReporTor enabled nuanced, in-depth analysis of the causes underlying the reported problems. Integrating ReporTor into Tor Browser can leverage its anonymous user-driven issue reporting to surface the challenges users encounter when visiting websites with Tor Browser. Analyzing and addressing the reports can enhance the user experience of Tor Browser for everyday web browsing.
Keywords: Tor, Tor Browser, User Experience, Privacy, Anonymity, Issue Reports
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