Content
User accounts on the deep web contain a lot of personal information that criminals might value — that’s why access to much of the deep web is restricted. For that reason, there are some advantages to the deep web. For starters, much of the content on the deep web is irrelevant and would only make searches that much more difficult.
Be careful and deliberate about the sites you want to access. The dark web lives on the Tor ecosystem and can only be accessed through the Tor browser. It’s a free, open-source software using a global network of servers to help you stay anonymous online. While the terms, “deep web” and “dark we” are often used interchangeabley, they are not the same. The deep web contains material not indexed by search engines.
What are the best browsers to access the Dark Web?
The risk of being a visitor to this content could lead to being placed on a watchlist or immediate targeting for a jail sentence. Tor (“The Onion Routing” project) network browser provides users access to visit websites with the “. This browser is a service originally developed in the latter part of the 1990s by the United States Naval Research Laboratory. Carrying on with the analogy, big search engines could be considered like fishing boats that can only “catch” websites close to the surface. Everything else, from academic journals to private databases and more illicit content, is out of reach.
You can conduct discussions about current events anonymously on Intel Exchange. There are several whistleblower sites, including a dark web version of Wikileaks. Pirate Bay, a BitTorrent site that law enforcement officials have repeatedly shut down, is alive and well there.
The dark web is home to a lot of genuine content not just the nefarious things we hear in the news
On the one hand, this is considered beneficial for people living under strict regimes where censorship is common. On the other hand, it can lead to trolling, the spread of misinformation, and unsavory comments that users wouldn’t be allowed to make on the surface web. This onion site was created as a place for whistleblowers to pass information to journalists. It is a safe haven where anybody with information can share it anonymously and without fear of being tracked.
- Naturally, this makes the dark web a breeding ground for illegal activity.
- I used ExpressVPN’s split-tunneling feature to only send dark web traffic through the VPN, which increased my speeds by 5–10%.
- Once you have the Tor Browser installed, launch it and click “Connect.” That’s it!
- I strongly advise doing your own research to make sure you’re not breaking any local laws by accessing the dark web.
- Site operators can also submit their own .onion sites for indexing.
You can follow, react to and join discussions without revealing your identity. On Tor Metrics you can find more information about the Tor Project. If you’re interested in privacy and how the Tor project works, this website will give you some extra insight.
It is most well-known for illegal activities but has essential features such as news platforms, e-commerce sites, social media platforms, email services, and advocacy organizations. The surface web, which is also called the visible web and the open web, is any website that search engines can add to their database. This includes not only websites and blogs but also online product listings and even public posts on social media. Be careful where you click though, as some sites may contain questionable—possibly even illegal—content. The websites around the TOR network are known as TOR services or hidden services.
Find the onion
CyberGhost’s NoSpy servers add an extra layer of protection while you explore the Dark Web. These servers automatically delete your browsing data when you log off. This means your activity won’t be stored and can’t be seen by anyone, even if they manage to access the servers.
It also comes with a functionality that allows journalists to communicate with their source in a private manner. Many news sites use SecureDrop, such as The Washington Post, ProPublica, and The Guardian. TorLinks is a great alternative to The Hidden Wiki and provides a list of .onion websites across various categories. Sure, there’s some overlap between the two, but the list of sites on TorLinks is widely different.
Popular Topics
This deep web also includes the portion that we know as the dark web. The deep web is the second layer of the internet, which is not indexed by search engines. Websites and pages in the deep web might include password-protected content, private forums, and personalized resources. Bitcoin is one of the main cryptocurrencies used in dark web marketplaces due to the flexibility and relative anonymity of the currency. With Bitcoin, people can hide their intentions as well as their identity.
As it becomes a popular topic, the interest rises, especially for children. Without the access to the tools and services provided in the dark web, they could not launch attacks on their own, or will have to resort only to basic ones such as 419 scams. These Big Tech companies match your internet activity to your identity or location by using your public IP address, but with ExpressVPN, no one can see your IP address — no one. Big Tech corporations are supposed to handle our online data safely, but now they’re getting into the political game.
So why, despite all the reasons above, should we consider trying to take down dark web sites? To answer that, we first need to talk about what the dark web is. Breaking alerts on data breaches, recalls, frauds and scams — and how to protect yourself. According to the Journal of Electronic Publishing, you can find anywhere from 400 to 550 times more public information on the deep web than on the surface web. First of all, you have to understand precisely what Dark Web means.
If you’re interested in privacy and the dark web, take a deep dive into PrivacyTools, an extensive directory of anti-surveillance tools, services, and educational materials. Founded around 1999 by activists in Seattle, it has since grown to over six million users worldwide. It publishes a newsletter in multiple languages and not only runs onion services for its website but all its email and chat services. Unlike Ahmia and Haystak, however, DuckDuckGo doesn’t search .onion sites. Use it to search the normal internet from the privacy of your Tor Browser.
