Global Voices illustration depicting the onion, the symbol of the Tor Network. From the administration of Mexican President Enrique Peña Nieto (2012–2018) until today, several investigative journalists have reported that the sites of different government agencies do not allow access from the Tor network. In Mexico it is estimated that there are 30,000 to 40,000 people using the Tor network. Tor is a global technology that offers alternatives to people who want to exercise freedom of access and expression on the internet while maintaining their privacy and anonymity. To achieve this, it relies on a network of more than 6,000 thousand nodes or relays that allow anonymous routing. It is also metaphorically called “onion routing” because of the layers that make up the network. The spokesman for the Tor Project, the organization behind the development of the Tor network software, Pavel Zoneff, told Global Voices by email: La red Tor es utilizada por millones de usuarios diarios para acceder de forma segura a Internet, salvaguardar su derecho a la información y la libertad de expresión y evitar la censura o la vigilancia gubernamental. The Tor network is used by millions of daily users to securely access the internet, safeguard their right to information and freedom of expression, and avoid censorship or government surveillance. Tor's logo. Photo credit: Wikipedia, under CC BY 3.0 US license. In Mexico, civil society groups have promoted the Tor network. This includes the use of anonymous mailboxes in newsrooms and self-advocacy and digital care for human rights defenders. Mexico faces challenges to freedom of expression, which might explain the interest in having a secure means of connecting online. Human rights and environmental defenders, as well as journalists, often find themselves in danger while carrying out their work, putting their lives at risk with kidnappings, disappearances, and murders. In terms of access to the internet, there are obstacles to access, limitations to content, and violations of users’ rights according to the Freedom on the Net 2022 report. The Mexican law recognizes the right to privacy and access to the internet, exchange of information, freedom of expression, and expression of ideas as provided by Article 60 of the constitution and Article 191 section XV of the Federal Law of Telecommunications and Broadcasting in Mexico. However, the law also contains provisions that have been internationally recognized as contrary to digital human rights. One such example is Article 190 of the Law of Telecommunications, which allows telecom operators to retain data. Additionally, the Mexican Government uses Tor for anti-corruption purposes. The mailbox of the Ministry of Public Administration works with the Tor network to guarantee the anonymity of whistleblowers. This initiative fits in a regulatory framework that recognizes that anonymity must be guaranteed in the public function when handling whistleblowers. According to the Official Gazette of the government: Resguardo de confidencialidad: Es la obligación a cargo de todas las personas adscritas a la Coordinación, el Coordinador General con apoyo del Coordinador deberán supervisar, controlar y evaluar que todas las actividades del Sistema garanticen el anonimato de los alertadores y de la información, tomando las medidas que sean necesarias, así como implementar las acciones de mejora que contribuyan a este fin. Confidentiality protection: It is the duty of all persons assigned to the Coordination, the General Coordinator with the support of the Coordinator must supervise, control and evaluate that all the activities of the System guarantee the anonymity of the alertors and their information, taking the necessary measures, as well as implementing improved actions that contribute to this end. However, the authors of this article found that 39 URLs of 21 government agencies block access from Tor. This was measured and studied from 2020 to date, and the blocks have been maintained for at least a dozen years. The following graph shows a comparison of URLs that are blocked and accessible hosted in the “.gob.mx.” domain at the time of writing this article. In red: Blocked; in grey: Accessible Global Voices consulted the Government of Mexico on the rationale and motives of the blockings, contacting the president's office, which is in charge of the digital strategy and is responsible for these infrastructures.