Having processes to handle bad relays in open networks like the Tor network is crucial to maintaining user privacy and security.
Malicious actors may attempt to join the network to attack Tor users.
To counter these threats, the Network Health team within the Tor Project actively detects and prevents such malicious efforts.
They collaborate with Tor Directory Authorities to take action against identified bad relays.
While we strive for transparency at the Tor Project, hunting bad relays is one of the few areas where we are in need to find a balance between secrecy and openness.
The following resources are available to help users of the Tor network understand how we handle bad relay work.