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BlockingIrc

Last edited by Alexander Færøy

List of IRC/chat networks that block or support Tor

Some IRC networks, by policy, don't allow access from anonymous users. Mostly, they do this because some (but not all, or even most) anonymous users are jerks, and most IRC software doesn't provide a way to block jerks more sophisticated than blocking them by IP address.(or the ability to provide new ip addresses on the fly as one can generate new .onion transports on the fly)

Becoming unblockable by target services is not a goal of the Tor project; see the FAQ entry on why this is both difficult and undesirable.

Sorting of IRC Networks suggestion: Put IRC networks supporting .onion v3 closest to the top, then .onion v2 services next and lastly normal domain names. Put those IRC networks supporting SSL closer to the top, but still keep the above sorting of v3(transport), v2(transport), normal domains consistent. ie. even an .onion v2 transport with ssl doesn't go above an .onion v3 transport without ssl, as a domain with ssl does not go higher than an .onion v2 without ssl. Also use common sense, if for example you can't find any available IRC Networks when visiting a link maybe remove it or put it at the end of the list.

Networks that block Tor

Networks that want to provide normal access to Tor or .onion transports but are currently unavailable

  • QuakeNet (announcement regarding Tor) (archived version) - When attempting a connect an intention to setup their own .onion is revealed: "Closing Link: namestor by underworld2.no.quakenet.org (G-lined (Due to mass abuse Tor is temporarily banned -- we will be setting up an onion server.))"
  • To quickly test if they block Tor just visit(through Tor) https://webchat.quakenet.org/ and as your nickname type 'test' and as your channel type '#test' then press the button "Join chat". You will quickly know if they block Tor after this process.

Networks that try to provide normal access to Tor or .onion and remove K-lines where respect for users privacy is unknown

This category is for IRC networks that have an intention or have managed to provide normal access to Tor though where the intentions of IRC network owners are unknown(we don't know of their intentions to preserve user privacy at any cost). Some of the items in this category haven't been researched yet, please look them up and contribute status updates whether they stay in this category or are moved to a more relevant one.

Networks that try to provide normal access to Tor or .onion and remove K-lines and show respect for users privacy

These IRC networks try to make it easier for Tor users to connect, they try to provide backup plans in case of abuse coming from Tor and they try to respect their users privacy without requiring any form of de-anonymization for registering or connecting to official channels.

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