Dark Web | Should you visit Dark Web

What is Dark Web:
Usually Dark web and Deep web are misunderstood to be same but there is a lot of difference between both. Easier way to understand this concept is by taking an example of an Iceberg.

Public Web: The part that is visible on the top is the public web, that is usually accessible to everyone.
Deep Web: The whole part of iceberg submerged in water is Deep web, contains information that is not indexed by search engines and does not require any authentication.
Dark Web: Dark web is part of Deep web. Information that is not accessible by normal internet browsers.

Why do people use Dark Web?
It is mostly used by people who do not want to be found, may be they are involved in some kind of illegal business or just for the sake of their privacy from the authorities. Since, it is known that all of us are being tracked online for our activities by government authorities, some people want to have privacy in their lives. Whistle-blowers also use Dark web to be safe. Or it is used in a country where their laws suppresses freedom to speak.

How to access dark web? Should you use it?
Before knowing how to access it, it is better if you are familiar with the consequences of using it.

a) You can come across things you may not wish to see. Many users who happen to visit dark web, only out of curiosity, have ended up seeing stuff they otherwise would have never seen it. Someone came across a video in which a person was being tortured during live stream. Another user came across a cooking video in which chef was teaching cooking of a person. Such kind of deeply uncomfortable stuffs are there after seeing which you may not forget it easily.

b) Someone might suggest that you can visit dark web without using TOR browser by accessing websites like “Tor2web” or “onion2web”. You can enter dark web through such sites but then you are exposed.  There is more risk of being hacked.

c) Even after this if you are still curious to visit Dark web, you may not want to use it without VPN because in some case even TOR browse has been hacked and you identity could be revealed. Also, do not enable any kind of scripts on dark web, as by doing this you may leave yourself open to hacking or a trojan horse may enter your system, access your camera, personal data on machine and then may start following you and threatening you. You may accidentally download a file which could give access to your system. There are such websites with false names, clicking which could download a file.

d) You may be held responsible for any criminal activity even if you were just surfing dark web out of curiosity and had no intention of buying or viewing illegal things. Since dark web is used for illegal activities, authorities keep an eye on it. It has been heard that even FBI itself is using dark web and selling illegal weapons to catch the criminals. If police catch owner of any website on dark web he could offer to help them by providing data of all the user who visited their site. Then you are exposed.
There have been many reports in past where FBI have busted a group of people buying illegal drugs. Hence you do not want to find yourself in jail for just accidentally clicking on any incorrect url. You may be held responsible for anything you viewed on dark web.

Lets suppose you do not have any false intention while using dark web but then question will arise, why in first place are you using it? Perhaps you have a legitimate reason that you want to discuss sensitive issue about yourself or you are a whistle-blower or an at risk activist. Unless you have any such reason specified above do not thing of using dark web.

Even after understanding all the risk involved in using dark web, you still want to access it, here is how. You need to download TOR browser and ‘ta-da’ you are in dark web. TOR browser has complete anonymity and this is why it is used for illegal activities and consequently you could expect authorities keeping a close eye on it. Most of the websites on dark web usually ends with ‘.onion’.

Let us know if you are still curious about using dark web just for fun.