EFF files an amicus brief in case involving a search warrant that was issued because an IP address attempted to access a file at a given URL:

https://social.mikegerwitz.com/url/71303

This is, frankly, terrifying that someone's life can be upended by something like this. What was missing from EFF's brief was emphasis on the ease with which programs on a user's computer could be directed by third parties to access a particular URL, without any knowledge of the user.

For example, let's say someone wanted to frame an individual (or group of people). They could just find a link to illegal material and place the URL within an image tag, iframe, etc within an HTML document (webpage), and direct the user to that document. In the case of an image tag: the user's browser would attempt to load the image, not knowing whether or not it was an image until it actually tried to load it. And by the time the browser realizes that it's not an image, the IP address of the victim is already in the webserver logs as having accessed that file.

That's just one trivial example.

I use Tor for general privacy protections online (but not strict anonymity, since I use it casually). But situations like these make me think that all users should use Tor or a VPN not only to protect their privacy, but to protect their _lives_.

Let's be thankful that the EFF is helping to clarify these matters.