[ghba66]

It was a technical project with the goal of proxifying your stuff via the onion network. They made it about human rights. Accessing forbidden websites is just one of all the things you could ever use Tor for. You could also use it to buy drugs or hire a hitman or troll online or watch child pornography. Why not call it a "hitmen for everybody" project?

[Sylos]

...because that's not their goal. It's a side effect that they think is worth living with.

[Mononokay]

The goal is to make an uncensorable method for everyone to send and receive information with. Without it, thousands of people in authoritarian regimes would be disadvantaged.