As for application. The technology was originally created by the United States Navy as a way for its overseas operators to relay information back without being tracked.

Journalists use the Tor network quite often for anonymity. Intelligent whistleblowers like Edward Snowden have used Tor for anonymity.

The most beneficial uses are not by just average persons surfing the internet. Although Tor is the only way to access the .onion sites, otherwise know as the infamous “Dark Web”.