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A library in Lebanon, New Hampshire was the first in the country to provide a particular privacy service to patrons near and far: it enabled a Tor relay node that anyone could use to mask their geographical locations from prying eyes. But the government didn't like that so much, and Homeland Security issued a warning to the library that Tor could be used by criminals.
In response, the library shut down its Tor program. The outcry from privacy advocates was swift. People pointed out all the many non-nefarious reasons a person might want or need the protection that Tor anonymity provides, among them protection from stalkers, spies, or oppressive governments.
Then last night the library board showed it would not be cowed. After a crowded open meeting, the Valley News reports that the library voted to reinstate the node.
“It came to me that I could vote in favor of the good ... or I could vote against the bad," library board Chairman Francis Oscadal reportedly said.
The motto of New Hampshire is "Live free or die," after all.
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