You’ve probably heard of the dark web – but do you really know what it is, exactly? While many of us think the dark web is illegal, it actually isn’t. Not only that, but not everything on the dark web is illegal, either. That being said, the dark web is still quite dangerous and is the internet’s hub for illicit activity. These are all of your questions about the deep, dark corners of the internet, answered. (1)
What Is The Dark Web?
The dark web is a part of the internet that is not indexed by search engines. As the name alludes to, it is the place to be for anyone wanting to dip their toe in illegal activity. (1) In 2015, Daniel Moore and Thomas Rid of King’s College in London, the UK, classified all of the websites on the dark web. They found 57% of the sites were used for illicit material. (2)
But what exactly is the dark web, and what all can you find on there? To answer that, you need to understand more about the background of this ominous part of the internet.
Deep Web vs. Dark Web
The deep web is anything on the internet not indexed by search engines and that requires a different type of web browser to access. The deep web is massive and makes up anywhere between 96% and 99% of the internet. That’s right – the “clear” web, aka the sites you visit every day, like Facebook, YouTube, Wikipedia, and the one you’re on right now – takes up just a tiny amount of space on the web. (1)
The dark web is an intentionally hidden subset of the deep web. To access it you need to use a browser called Tor. It is estimated that it makes up about 5% of the internet. (1)
What is Tor?
Tor is a browser that allows you to surf the web anonymously. It does this by routing your site requests and searches through various proxy servers run by thousands of people around the world. This makes your IP address unidentifiable and untraceable. (1)
The United States Navy actually created tor to protect whistleblowers online. Sites end up “.onion” instead of .com or .org, and their addresses are hard-to-remember mash-ups of letters and numbers. (1)
Surfing the deep and dark web using Tor is not the same experience as using Google. It is slow, it is chaotic, and it isn’t easy to navigate. Prepare for plenty of 404 messages and timed-out sessions before pages load. Sites are also put up and taken down constantly, and searches will render more unrelated information than what you’re actually looking for. (1)
For anyone who was old enough to be using the internet in the ’90s, it will remind you of that – only with more illicit content.
What Is The Dark Web Used For?
As I said before, the dark web is full of dangerous and illegal stuff. Some things you can find on there are (1):
- Guns and weapons
- Drugs and the drug trade
- Trafficking including human trafficking
- Adult content
- Terrorist groups and information
- Videos of assassinations
That’s just the tip of the iceberg. Other still illegal but less frightening (depending on how you define scary) things you can find are (1):
- Credit card numbers
- Counterfeit money
- Stolen subscription log in information
- Hacked Netflix accounts and software to get you a lifetime subscription for very little money
- Software to hack into other people’s computers
- Hackers for hire
- Usernames and passwords for purchase
Not everything on the dark web is illegal, however. For example, some non-illicit things you can find there are (1):
- Chess clubs
- Books
- Wiki leaks
- Ability to chat with others anonymously
Even sites like Facebook have a presence on the dark web.
Scammers And Thieves
Of course, cartels and terrorist groups have a presence on the dark web. There are also plenty of scammers and thieves that will swindle you out of your money. People do give reviews online on products and services; however, they aren’t very trustworthy because everything is anonymous. (3)
Naturally, law enforcement is on the dark web and regularly shut down illegal websites. Though hard to catch, buyers and sellers of illegal goods and services can get caught. However, it is hard to control due to the anonymity of the sites and the quick mobility people have of “disappearing” and then resurfacing elsewhere under a different name. (3)
Other Uses
The dark web is also used by people who live in countries with strict censorship rules. The dark web allows them to chat and share their thoughts and opinions without repercussion from their government. (4)
In terms of currency, the dark web operates almost entirely on Bitcoin. This is because bitcoin is also untraceable. The problem here is that bitcoin’s value is never the same, so the actual worth of how much of it you have can fluctuate. (1)
The Bottom Line
The dark web is not illegal, and not everything found there is illegal or dangerous. That being said, there are still plenty of dangerous people and groups, and you really can’t trust anyone you interact with within that space.
It is highly discouraged to purchase anything in that space, even if it’s something innocent like a book. You could send someone money and never receive your product, and you have no protection.
In reality, it is probably wise for you to avoid going there in the first place.
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Sources
- “What is the dark web? How to access it and what you’ll find.” CSO Online. Darren Guccione. November 18, 2020.
- “Cryptopolitik and the Darknet.” TandFonline. Daniel Moore, Thomas Rid. February 1, 2016.
- “10 things you should know about dark web websites.” CSO Online. Josh Fruhlinger. November 23, 2018.
- “What is the dark web? And what will you find there?.” Youtube. IDG TECHtalk. July 19, 2019.