I2P definition

A peer-to-peer (P2P) anonymous network that protects you from censorship, government surveillance, and online monitoring. It scatters your traffic, so there is a low chance that a third party will be able to intercept it. By using I2P you can also get encrypted access to the dark web. In a way, it serves a similar purpose to the Tor network, but there are some differences between the two. You can also use it for general browsing, instant messaging, file storing, and website hosting.

See also: onion domain

I2P use cases

• Personal privacy. You can use I2P to protect your online privacy and prevent third parties from tracking your browsing activities or collecting your data.
• Private communication. I2P can be used to communicate privately with other users on the network.
• Web hosting. I2P allows hosting websites anonymously on the network without revealing the identity or location of the website owner.
• Whistleblowing. Whistleblowers can use I2P to anonymously report illegal or unethical activities without fear of retribution.
• Research and activism. Researchers and activists can use I2P to avoid censorship or government surveillance.

Issues with I2P

• The network is not designed for an average computer user. You will need to do extensive configuration on your browser for I2P to work.
• I2P only encrypts data traveling through a configured browser. It will not encrypt network activity for the entire device.
• I2P is mainly aimed at accessing the deep web and other hidden services. It doesn’t focus on providing privacy on the surface web, which may be another downside for regular internet users.
• The availability of I2P nodes depends on volunteers who share their bandwidth. That poses risks to the network’s reliability and security as some nodes may be malicious or compromised.

Further reading