doc: Add privacy.md consolidating network privacy recommendations #35858

pull pablomartin4btc wants to merge 2 commits into bitcoin:master from pablomartin4btc:doc/privacy changing 4 files +79 −19

pablomartin4btc commented at 3:49 AM on August 1, 2026: member
Suggested by ismaelsadeeq in #29415.

Creates doc/privacy.md as a single home for Bitcoin Core's privacy tools for transaction broadcasting and network connectivity.
- Commit 1: Move the "Privacy recommendations" sections from doc/tor.md and doc/i2p.md into privacy.md, replacing them with pointers. The two files contained the same multi-network unlinkability warning duplicated verbatim; this consolidation removes the duplication. No content changes.
- Commit 2: Add a "Transaction broadcasting privacy" section documenting -privatebroadcast, its prerequisites (Tor or I2P), current scope (sendrawtransaction only, with a link to the tracking issue for planned wallet-level support), and the related RPCs (getprivatebroadcastinfo, abortprivatebroadcast).

doc: Extract network privacy recommendations into doc/privacy.md

Move the "Privacy recommendations" sections from doc/tor.md and
doc/i2p.md into a new doc/privacy.md, replacing them with pointers.
The two files contained overlapping advice (the multi-network
unlinkability warning was duplicated verbatim); consolidating them
removes the duplication and gives privacy guidance a single home.

No behaviour changes; this is a pure documentation refactor.

886189e83d

doc: Document -privatebroadcast option in doc/privacy.md

Add a "Transaction broadcasting privacy" section explaining how
-privatebroadcast works, its prerequisites (Tor or I2P), current scope
(sendrawtransaction only, with a link to the tracking issue for
planned wallet-level support), and the two related RPCs
(getprivatebroadcastinfo, abortprivatebroadcast).

Update the pointers in doc/tor.md and doc/i2p.md to mention private
transaction broadcasting.

1b07681dfe

DrahtBot added the label Docs on Aug 1, 2026
DrahtBot commented at 3:49 AM on August 1, 2026: contributor



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For details see: https://corecheck.dev/bitcoin/bitcoin/pulls/35858.



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pablomartin4btc renamed this:
~~doc: Add privacy.md consolidating network privacy recommendations and documenting -privatebroadcast~~
doc: Add privacy.md consolidating network privacy recommendations
on Aug 1, 2026
pablomartin4btc commented at 9:11 PM on August 28, 2026: member

Gently pinging @ismaelsadeeq and @vasild — this follows up on the new privacy.md consolidation suggested during review of #29415, and covers the -privatebroadcast feature from that PR. Happy to adjust scope or wording based on your feedback.
in doc/privacy.md:56 in 1b07681dfe
```
  51 | +this configuration (i.e. bridge nodes) increase the cost and complexity of
  52 | +launching eclipse and partition attacks. However, under certain conditions, an
  53 | +adversary that can connect to your node on multiple networks may be able to
  54 | +correlate those identities by observing shared runtime characteristics. It is
  55 | +not recommended to expose your node over multiple networks if you require
  56 | +unlinkability across those identities.
```
jonatack commented at 9:38 PM on August 28, 2026:

under certain conditions...may be able to correlate those identities

IIRC this came from a study of nodes running over both IPv4 and Tor. As I pointed out in the PR that added this note, people running their node over Tor are probably much more likely to use I2P as a second network than clearnet (I can go into why if needed). However, that review and other suggestions from me were ignored.

It would thus be more helpful to describe (a) what those "certain conditions" are, and (b) clarify the more frequently used case of Tor + I2P

As-is, (and it isn't your fault), I think this note is incomplete (and perhaps misleading).

pablomartin4btc commented at 3:07 AM on August 29, 2026:

Ok, I see that the thread you are referring to is this one. I agree that we could expand a bit on those circumstances and the risks that would be involved. I'll investigate a bit and see if I can come up with something else to add that I hope could help. Thanks!
jonatack commented at 9:38 PM on August 28, 2026: member

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#29415 Broadcast own transactions only via short-lived Tor or I2P connections

doc: Add privacy.md consolidating network privacy recommendations #35858

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