Law & jurisdiction
Can I run a Tor exit node?
Middle relays and bridges are permitted on any OnionVPS instance, without restriction. Exit relays are permitted in approved jurisdictions only, and require a published abuse contact and a reduced exit policy. Exits attract complaints about traffic that is not yours, so we require that you are prepared to answer them.
The reason for the distinction is practical rather than ideological. An exit relay is the apparent source of every connection it carries, so it receives the complaints for all of them. In some jurisdictions that creates real legal exposure for the operator.
Recommended exit jurisdictions in our fleet are Iceland, Switzerland, Romania, Bulgaria and Moldova, where operating an exit is well established and the legal position is comparatively settled. Ask before deploying and we will confirm current status.
See also: Tor exit node
7 answers in Law & jurisdiction
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- What happens if you receive a subpoena or court order? We assess whether it is valid legal process from a court with jurisdiction over OnionVPS. If it is, we comply with exactly what is ordered and nothing…
- What is an MLAT and why does it matter for hosting? A mutual legal assistance treaty is the formal channel through which one country asks another to gather evidence on its behalf. It matters because a f…
- What content is not allowed on your servers? Child sexual abuse material, which we report to the appropriate authority. Malware command-and-control, ransomware infrastructure and exploit kits. Ph…
- How do you handle abuse complaints? Complaints are triaged by evidence, not by volume. Automated copyright notices to non-US locations are forwarded to you for information and no action …