Tor Project’s Google Summer of Code Internship 2025

The Tor Project is once again participating in Google Summer of Code (GSoC) in 2025, with three projects aimed at strengthening Tor’s infrastructure, security, and usability.

What’s GSoC?

Google Summer of Code is an annual program that funds internships for contributors looking to get involved with open-source projects. For Tor, this means fresh talent working on critical privacy and anonymity tools. More contributors mean a stronger, more censorship-resistant internet. GSoC also helps eliminate financial barriers, making it possible for people worldwide to contribute without worrying about unpaid labor.

If you're considering applying, now’s the time to ask questions. The deadline for inquiries is March 23, 2025. Applications officially open from March 24 to April 8, 2025. You can reach out at gsoc@torproject.org if you need more details.

GSoC 2025: What’s Tor Working On?

This year, the Tor Project is tackling three key projects:

1. Rewriting Metrics Library in Rust

Right now, the Tor Metrics Library—responsible for processing Tor network data—is written in Java. The goal is to rebuild it in Rust, improving performance, security, and maintainability. This library pulls data from CollecTor and provides a Java API for applications that need statistical analysis of Tor’s network.

Rewriting it in Rust means better safety, fewer memory-related bugs, and a more future-proof system.

2. Expanding Onion Service Tooling for Arti

Tor’s Rust-based client, Arti, currently has two limited commands for managing onion services: arti hss (for handling hidden services) and arti hsc (for client state management).

Right now, these tools are basic—missing key features that onion service operators and users actually need. This project will improve tooling for managing on-disk state and keys, expanding existing commands and possibly adding new ones. It’ll also contribute to Arti’s API and documentation.

3. Relay-to-Relay Connectivity & Network Optimization

Keeping Tor’s relay network running smoothly means managing massive amounts of connection data. This project focuses on optimizing erpc (an internal relay communication protocol) and researching network partition detection algorithms. Since Tor's network is structured as a directed graph, tools like Neo4j’s Graph Data Science library can be used to detect partitions and improve overall connectivity.

Why Apply?

GSoC is a rare chance to work on privacy-preserving tech while gaining hands-on open-source development experience. If you care about online anonymity, decentralized networks, or breaking censorship, this is your opportunity to contribute to something that actually matters.

We’re looking forward to bringing in a new generation of contributors. Apply, get involved, and help shape the future of Tor.