
A more complex example would be watching for and reporting downloads of known copyrighted files. For instance, it could block access to known porn sites. Send a copy of all traffic to another device that can monitor itīy “monitor”, I mean the equipment can watch for a variety of things and act based on what it finds.Monitor the traffic that flows across it.That equipment - typically one or more routers of various sorts - can do either or both of two things: In providing your internet access, your school (or employer, or hotel, or wherever you might be) owns the networking equipment to which you connect. While a VPN protects your connection to the VPN service and not beyond, TOR encrypts and obfuscates the connection until immediately prior to the connection to the server or service you’re using. The second point is a side effect of the encryption involved. It’s not the only aspect, to be sure - you can be identified in other ways, so it’s important to behave appropriately when attempting to maintain anonymity. The first point is a particularly important aspect of maintaining privacy or anonymity.

