Java Anon Proxy - Design

Design

The JonDonym client program allows the user to choose among several Mix Cascades (i.e. a group of anonymization proxies) offered by independent organisations. Users may choose by themselves whom of these operators they will trust, and whom they won't. This is different from peer-to-peer based anonymity networks like Tor (anonymity network) and I2P, whose anonymisation proxies are anonymous themselves, which means the users have to rely on unknown proxy operators (every user of the service being by default a proxy operator). However, it means that all the relays used for JonDonym-mediated connexion are known and identified, and therefore potentially targeted very easily by hackers, governmental agencies or lobbying groups.This has for example led to the issues mentioned below, where court orders essentially gave all control over the whole system to the German government. As discussed below, solutions like international distribution of the relays and the additional use of Tor can somewhat mitigate this loss of independence.

The speed and availability of the service depends on the operators of the Mixes in the cascades, and therefore varies. More users on a cascade improve anonymity, but a large number of users might diminish the speed and bandwidth available for a single user.