So I’ve just started using tor and I know a little about it before I started using it, and this question had been answered probably a thousand times, I’m using Nord vpn with its “onion over vpn” feature and also using a tor browser on its safest setting. What does the vpn provider see? I know if you’re using a tor browser your isp can’t see what websites you visited, just let’s them know your on the tor network. Please don’t hate
Your VPN provider can see that you’re using Tor, and approximately how much traffic your sending through it and in which patterns. They cannot see what you’re doing on Tor.
NordVPN’s supposed “onion of VPN” feature is not something you need to use, and should probably be disabled.
Tor doesn’t become meaningfully safer with a VPN for most people either, so I wouldn’t worry to much about the whole VPN thing.
You do not need a VPN for Tor. As a rule of thumb a VPN will neither improve nor hurt Tor’s anonymity much. The VPN will see that you are using Tor but not what you are doing over it.
Onion over VPN features provide no anonymity. They should only ever be used as a convince feature for conveniently accessing onion sites but you should not expect any anonymity, increased privacy or security from them.
On another note if you care about your privacy you really do not want to use NordVPN. Their VPN clients are closed source, they use Google analytics and thereby track their users and share that data with Google, their very aggressive and very extensive advertising is full of lies, they have constant fake discounts, they are very heavy in shady affiliate marketing. NordVPN is incredibly shady and absolutely no one who expects the slightest privacy should use them.
For people new to the Tor Browser I would read the manual. Don’t use a VPN when using Tor even if it has some BS “onion over vpn” instead use bridges.
vpn is really unnecessary and to be frank, just useless. All you’ll really need is tails. The anonymity you want isn’t being provided by nord.
Whonix or tails and Tor. No VPN needed (at all).
OK, so you have the self-awareness to say “this question had been answered probably a thousand times”.
But you didn’t go read the other thousand answers.
Why not?
Using Tor over a VPN is like double-bagging a condom: doesn’t help, and is probably strictly worse. At that point, just use Tor. It’s already basically a free VPN on steroids.
dont combine tor and VPN. it doesnt help and only causes harm. you can combine it with a Tor bridge if you live in a that bans tor
Ah I get it, so instead of my isp seeing I’m using tor but can’t see the contents, it’s the vpn provider. I’ll have a better look later and I’ll keep the vpn, just keep it disabled when using tor and instead look into these bridges I’ve seen being mentioned on other posts and I’ve heard using the tails OS over USB is the safest option possible?
I see… Thanks for this. I’ll probably stop using Nord altogether then.
Edit:Canceled and Full refund
Don’t use a VPN when using Tor
I use a VPN 24/365 to protect the non-Tor traffic of my system. Then when I want to access an onion site, I launch Tor Browser and thus have Tor over VPN.
Tor Browser is secure by itself. Tor Browser doesn’t need help from a VPN. VPN doesn’t help or hurt the Tor traffic. VPN is there for the non-Tor traffic.
Cheers, I might set up tails soon give it a go, I’ve always enjoyed messing around with different OS’s anyway.
Well… I actually did go back a little bit, but clearly not far enough if it has already been answered. 
I’m using Nord vpn with its “onion over vpn” feature
I doubt that part of OP’s setup has been addressed.
Not using it now I know that a vpn doesn’t do much
https://www.torproject.org/ Then just download whichever OS you have,
I’ll keep the vpn, just keep it disabled when using tor
I don’t believe there’s a need to micromanage your VPN connection like that. Being on a VPN doesn’t hurt your anonymity, it just doesn’t meaningfully increase it either.
I’ll look into these bridges?
But why? Bridges are for people who cannot connect to Tor because their ISP or their government has blocked access to it, or that for some reason need to conceal their usage of Tor. It doesn’t sound like Tor is blocked for you, so unless you need to conceal the fact that you use Tor, you don’t need a bridge. Many newbies think that bridges are something to use as one more level of protection against something, but that’s not the case. Bridges are a tool to address specific problems that some people have.
I’ve heard using the tails OS over USB is the safest option possible?
Tails is nice primarily because it leaves no traces on your computer (it’s “amnesiac”). So if your computer is seized, forensic analysts won’t know that you’ve used Tor. It will also route all your traffic through Tor, which is nice if you do other things than web browsing.
On the other hand, booting into a USB stick to browse Tor is much more work than just firing up Tor Browser on the OS you already use, and this could cause you to use Tor less.
So like bridges, Tails is a specific tool for people with specific requirements, and not something you need to blindly use without understanding why.
I use a VPN 24/365 to protect the non-Tor traffic of my system. Then when I want to access an onion site, I launch Tor Browser and thus have Tor over VPN.
Tor Browser is secure by itself. Tor Browser doesn’t need help from a VPN. VPN doesn’t help or hurt the Tor traffic. VPN is there for the non-Tor traffic.
Dunno who down voted heres a Upvote ^^