Why Major Organizations Run .onion Services
Running an official .onion hidden service is not a niche privacy experiment — it is a deliberate infrastructure decision by organizations that recognize the importance of censorship-resistant access. For news organizations operating in authoritarian regions, an .onion address ensures that readers can access reporting even when governments block or filter the clearnet domain. For technology companies, it provides users with an additional layer of protection against surveillance and man-in-the-middle attacks.
Every .onion address listed below has been verified against the organization's official clearnet site, public announcements, or published documentation. Unlike anonymous hidden services, these mirrors are operated by known, accountable entities with reputations to protect.
News & Media
BBC News
The BBC launched its Tor mirror in 2019 to provide access for audiences in countries where BBC content is censored or blocked. The .onion version includes all BBC World Service content, including editions in Russian, Farsi, Arabic, and other languages targeted by state censorship.
BBC News — Official .onion
The New York Times
The NYT was one of the first major news organizations to deploy an .onion service, launched in 2017. The Tor mirror provides full access to NYT journalism, including subscriber content, without exposing reader browsing habits to network observers.
New York Times — Official .onion
ProPublica
ProPublica was the first major news outlet to launch an .onion site in 2016. As an investigative journalism nonprofit, ProPublica's commitment to Tor access reflects its mission of holding power accountable — particularly when that power attempts to surveil or restrict press access.
ProPublica — Official .onion
Deutsche Welle
Germany's international broadcaster provides Tor access for audiences in regions where DW content is censored, particularly in countries with restricted press freedom.
Deutsche Welle — Official .onion
The Guardian
The Guardian operates an official SecureDrop instance over Tor so whistleblowers and confidential sources can submit documents anonymously. The onion address below is published both on The Guardian's own landing page and in the Freedom of the Press Foundation's verified SecureDrop Directory.
The Guardian — SecureDrop (Tor)
Verify: theguardian.com/securedrop — cross-check against the SecureDrop Directory
The Intercept
The investigative outlet behind much of the Snowden archive reporting runs a SecureDrop instance for anonymous source submissions over Tor. Because SecureDrop onion addresses are periodically rotated and re-verified, obtain the current address directly from The Intercept's official submission page rather than from third-party link lists.
Access: theintercept.com/source — confirm via the Freedom of the Press SecureDrop Directory
Mediapart (France)
France's leading independent, subscriber-funded investigative newspaper. French investigative outlets coordinate confidential tips through SecureDrop instances reachable over Tor — always retrieve the current onion address from the outlet's official site or the verified directory before submitting anything.
Access: mediapart.fr — verified French-language instances (including Disclose) are listed in the SecureDrop Directory
Technology & Privacy
Facebook's .onion service, launched in 2014, was the first major social platform to deploy a hidden service. It allows users in censored regions to access Facebook without revealing their Tor usage to local network operators. Facebook even obtained the first-ever HTTPS certificate for a .onion domain.
Facebook — Official .onion
The Tor Project
The developers of the Tor network naturally operate their own hidden service. Access the official Tor Project website, documentation, and download pages without relying on the clearnet.
Tor Project — Official .onion
ProtonMail
Swiss encrypted email provider with a dedicated .onion service that eliminates exit-node exposure when accessing your inbox. For a detailed review, see our Services Directory.
ProtonMail — Official .onion
Riseup
Riseup is an autonomous tech collective (operating since 1999) providing privacy-respecting email, mailing lists, VPN, and collaboration tools for activists and organizers. Riseup publishes a cryptographically signed list of its v3 onion services — making it one of the most rigorously verifiable hidden services on this page.
Riseup — Official .onion
Verify: riseup.net signed onion list
Government & Intelligence
CIA (Central Intelligence Agency)
The CIA launched its .onion service in 2019 to allow people worldwide to securely access CIA.gov content and submit tips without surveillance exposure. The hidden service provides the same content as the clearnet site, including the World Factbook and career opportunities.
CIA — Official .onion
Archives & Knowledge
Internet Archive
The Internet Archive's Tor service provides censorship-resistant access to the Wayback Machine and its vast digital library of books, websites, software, and media.
Internet Archive — Official .onion
Debian
The Debian GNU/Linux project operates .onion mirrors for its package repositories, allowing users to update their systems without exposing their software configuration to network observers.
Access: onion.debian.org — lists all available .onion repository mirrors
Privacy-Focused Operating Systems
The most reliable way to access Tor and .onion services safely is from an operating system built for anonymity. These three projects are the community standard. Always download them from their official site and verify the cryptographic signature before installing — a tampered OS image defeats every other precaution.
Tails
Tails (The Amnesic Incognito Live System) is a Debian-based live operating system that boots from a USB stick and routes all network traffic through Tor. It is amnesic by design: nothing is written to disk and every trace is wiped on shutdown unless you explicitly configure encrypted persistent storage. The go-to choice for high-risk, leave-no-trace sessions.
Download: tails.net — verify the download signature before use
Whonix
Whonix runs as two isolated virtual machines — a Gateway that forces all traffic through Tor and a Workstation with no direct network access. Even if the Workstation is fully compromised by malware, it cannot learn your real IP address because it physically cannot reach the network except through the Gateway. Runs inside VirtualBox/KVM or alongside Qubes OS.
Download: whonix.org
Qubes OS
Qubes OS takes a security-by-compartmentalization approach, isolating every activity into separate virtual machines ("qubes") so a breach in one cannot spread to the rest of the system. Combined with its official Whonix integration, it offers one of the strongest practical anonymity and isolation setups available. Recommended for advanced users.
Download: qubes-os.org
Verification Table
| Organization | Category | .onion Available | Since |
|---|---|---|---|
| BBC News | News | Yes | 2019 |
| New York Times | News | Yes | 2017 |
| The Guardian | News (SecureDrop) | Yes | 2014 |
| ProPublica | Investigative | Yes | 2016 |
| Deutsche Welle | News | Yes | 2019 |
| Social | Yes | 2014 | |
| Tor Project | Technology | Yes | 2014 |
| ProtonMail | Yes | 2017 | |
| Riseup | Email / Activism | Yes | 2014 |
| CIA | Government | Yes | 2019 |
| Internet Archive | Archive | Yes | 2020 |
Verification note: All .onion addresses listed on this page are sourced from the organizations' official clearnet websites, press releases, or published documentation. Always verify addresses independently before use. For additional verification techniques, see our Anti-Phishing Detection guide.