Yes, you can use Tor with Private Internet Access (PIA). To do so, connect to PIA first, then open Tor Browser and connect to the Tor network.
This setup is commonly called VPN to Tor because your traffic passes through the VPN before entering the Tor network.
How VPN to Tor Connections Work
In a VPN-to-Tor connection, your traffic follows this path:
Your device → PIA VPN → Tor network → website or .onion service
With this setup:
- Your ISP sees VPN traffic: Your ISP can see that you’re connected to PIA, but it doesn’t see a direct Tor connection.
- The Tor entry node sees the PIA server: The first Tor node sees the IP address of the PIA server instead of your device’s IP address.
- Websites see the Tor exit node: Regular websites see the Tor exit node’s IP address, not your device’s IP address or the IP address assigned by PIA.
- You can access .onion services: Tor Browser can open .onion sites that are only available through the Tor network.
Limitations of Using PIA with Tor
Using PIA with Tor can add a layer of privacy, but it also has limitations:
- Speed: Your connection may be slower because traffic passes through both a VPN server and multiple Tor relays.
- Website access: Some websites block or limit traffic from Tor exit nodes.
- P2P traffic: Torrent applications may expose your real IP address over Tor and slow down the network for others.
- Support: PIA supports the standard VPN-to-Tor setup described here: connect to PIA first, then use Tor Browser. PIA doesn’t provide a built-in Tor-to-VPN setup, where traffic enters the Tor network before it connects to the VPN. This type of setup requires custom configuration, so PIA cannot provide setup support for it.
Security Considerations
Using PIA with Tor doesn’t guarantee anonymity. Keep the following risks in mind:
- Exit nodes: When you visit a regular website through Tor, traffic leaves the Tor network through an exit node. If the website doesn’t use HTTPS, the exit node may be able to view or modify unencrypted traffic. If the website uses HTTPS, your traffic stays encrypted as it passes through the exit node.
- Personal information: If you sign into an account or enter personal information on a website, that website may still be able to identify you.
- Traffic correlation: Tor can make activity harder to trace, but it doesn’t make timing patterns disappear. This risk applies when an observer has visibility into more than one part of the connection path, such as traffic entering the VPN or Tor network and traffic leaving the Tor network. They may compare timing, traffic volume, and connection patterns to try to link the activity together. Using PIA with Tor doesn’t remove this risk.
- Bridges: If a network blocks direct Tor connections, Tor bridges may help you connect. Bridges are Tor relays that aren’t listed publicly, so they can be harder for networks to block. They don’t guarantee that Tor use will be hidden.