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## About Tails
[**Tails**](https://tails.boum.org/) is a portable operating system that protects your privacy and helps you avoid censorship.
[](https://tails.boum.org/)
- Tails uses the Tor network to protect your privacy online and help you avoid censorship. Enjoy the Internet like it should be.
- Shut down the computer and start on your Tails USB stick instead of starting on Windows, macOS, or Linux. Tails leaves no trace on the computer when shut down.
- Tails includes a selection of applications to work on sensitive documents and communicate securely. Everything in Tails is ready-to-use and has safe defaults.
- You can download Tails for free and independent security researchers can verify our work. Tails is based on Debian GNU/Linux.
[Learn learn how Tails works](https://tails.boum.org/about)
There are many ways [you can contribute to Tails](https://tails.boum.org/contribute/). No effort is too small and whatever you bring to this community will be appreciated.
Find out how you can make a difference in Tails: https://tails.boum.org/contribute/.
https://tails.boum.org/contribute/working_together/GitLab/
https://tails.boum.org/contribute/working_together/GitLab/transition/
**Tails** is [Free Software](https://www.gnu.org/philosophy/free-sw.html): you can download, use, and share it with no restrictions.
<a href="https://tails.boum.org/doc/about/license/"><img alt="Tails is Free Software" src="https://tails.boum.org/index/gift.svg" width="560"/>
The Tails source code is released under the GNU/GPL (version 3 or above) and is Copyright (C) Tails developers tails@boum.org.
Any exception to this rule is documented either [here](https://tails.boum.org/doc/about/license/) or in the affected source file.
However, Tails includes non-free firmware in order to work on as much hardware as possible.
email and mailing lists: https://tails.boum.org/about/contact
XMPP: tails@conference.riseup.net and tails-dev@conference.riseup.net
[](https://tails.boum.org)