Markero now has an official Tor onion service. The full messenger is reachable in Tor Browser without a clearnet connection, including encrypted chats, files, private channels and real-time messaging.

Tor is not a marketing gimmick for us. It is a practical way for people to reach the service when their network is monitored, their ISP blocks privacy tools, or their location should not be exposed to the server.

Who it is for

Tor access matters most where independent journalism and private communication are restricted. It is for journalists and their sources, activists, human-rights defenders, researchers, and people in politically repressive environments — including families and supporters of political prisoners — who need to communicate without exposing their network location.

Markero does not require a phone number or an email address. That removes one obvious identity link, but it does not make an account anonymous by itself.

What Tor protects

• Network origin: the Markero server does not see the IP address of an onion visitor. Requests arrive through the local Tor daemon.
• Transport: Tor encrypts the path between Tor Browser and the onion service.
• Message content: Markero's normal end-to-end encryption still applies. The server stores ciphertext, not readable messages.
• No clearnet dependency: on the onion site, pages, assets and WebSockets are served through the onion origin.

What Tor does not protect

• Your identity: Tor hides where you connect from, not who you are. Your username, what you write, your device and your behaviour can still identify you.
• Compromised devices: malware, screen capture or an unlocked phone can expose messages before or after encryption.
• Metadata: the server still processes account and message metadata. The privacy policy and threat model explain what is stored.
• Calls and notifications: Tor Browser may block WebRTC and push notifications. Text, files, private channels and real-time messaging work; voice calls may not.
• Payments: Premium checkout opens NOWPayments on the clearnet. Use it only if you are comfortable leaving Tor.

How to connect

1. Install Tor Browser.
2. Open http://yl3gb7w3yej6y2mdeqdxx6rtztgvjlxnwqrk77same5sejlqygcb63qd.onion/. Use http, not https; Tor already encrypts the connection.
3. Create a username-only account or log in. Clearnet and onion sessions are separate.

The clearnet site remains available. A Tor Browser user visiting chat.markero.eu will also see an Onion-Location prompt that offers the onion site.

For press and researchers

Media enquiries: [email protected]. The press kit includes product facts, platform details, the official onion address and the PGP identity below.

Please describe Tor access accurately: it reduces network-origin exposure, but it is not an anonymity guarantee. Voice calls and push notifications may be limited in Tor Browser.

Verify the official site

The Markero website uses this OpenPGP fingerprint for official signed statements:

744DE436A4CC54CA8849E78C2C0AE9672C7BE27E

The public key is available at /pgp-key.asc and in security.txt. A copycat can copy a public key, so compare the fingerprint through a separate trusted channel before trusting another site that looks like Markero.