Kickstarter pulls Anonabox, a Tor-enabled router that raised over $585,000

[silicon_toad2000]

http://arstechnica.com/security/2014/10/kickstarter-pulls-anonabox-a-tor-enabled-router-that-raised-over-585000/

Kickstarter removed a fundraiser for a popular Tor-based router project on Friday afternoon.

The Anonabox, which was created by August Germar, of Chico, California, aimed to be an “open source embedded networking device designed specifically to run Tor.” Its fundraising goal was $7,500, and in five days, it raised $585,549 from nearly 9,000 backers—including three Ars editors.

Germar told Ars that he was not aware that it had been suspended until Ars forwarded him an e-mail from Kickstarter outlining the possible reasons why it could have been cancelled.

In recent days, many Kickstarter commenters pointed out notable flaws in the project, including the fact that Germar claimed to have made the hardware on his own—other commenters found links on other sites that show nearly-identical devices.

"I don't know what to say other than I never expected any of this, I was expecting to make a batch of 100 and that's it," he told Ars in an instant message chat. "The hardware that is being linked to did not exist when I started working on this, otherwise I would have done a Kickstarter four years ago. I think those are just generic knockoffs, they were being made in China. I don't mind, I'm glad the hardware is available now. I always told people they could build their own at home and that I would help them. Now they can buy the hardware directly from China, it doesn't bother me. I just wanted more people to be able to have a device like this."