However, if you’re looking to trade or buy something, the risk of scams increases exponentially. People often make the grave mistake of divulging their private information to the seller or anyone else who can take advantage of it and harm the user in many ways. This, joined by incredible value and the price of around $2/mo, makes PIA very attractive.
Is Accessing The Dark Web Illegal?
This makes it safer for those who can’t freely access certain content. While keeping identities private is the typical case for onion sites, sometimes they aren’t concerned with their own privacy at all. For example, the New York Times and Facebook both have onion-ized versions of their normal websites to give access to people who live in places where these platforms are normally censored. Indeed, Facebook, The New York Times and now even the CIA have sites on the dark web, hosting “onion” versions of their pages that can be accessed via the Tor browser. The spy agency is hoping to securely and anonymously collect tips, though its entire website, including job listings, are available on the onion service.
We recommend installing a premium antivirus program for optimal protection against malware infections. We also made sure to select only sites that have been around for a considerable amount of time without being taken down or being the subject of any privacy or security scandals. It is a good website for finding out which websites are currently working. If you need a listing of currently active websites, contact their support, and they will provide you with that. This is a great resource for users looking to refer to old prices or job listings that have changed or are outdated. Accessing tunnels is illegal and dangerous, which is why records of these “adventures” can only be found on the dark web.
Avoid Downloading Dark Web Files
Although the Tor browser has sufficient encryption, combining it with a VPN offers better protection. However, you should not see it as an opportunity to engage in illegal activities to avoid trouble with authorities. However, most are outdated and have not kept up with the changing landscape.
Other Privacy Tools And Services
Many people install a VPN as well, but then you’re putting your trust in an additional third party to not track your activities or report them to anyone else. The dark web is the unregulated part of the deep web, which encompasses all parts of the web not indexed by search engines. While the deep web comprises about 90% of the total web, the dark web makes up just a tiny fraction of the deep web total. ProPublica is a non-profit, Pulitzer Prize-winning news outlet that focuses on abuses of power and issues of public trust.
Bonus: A Few More Dark Web Websites
- A VPN also masks your online behavior from ISPs, which could flag you as suspicious for accessing the dark web.
- The Tor browser automatically includes an extension called HTTPS-Everywhere.
- However, many applications on your computer ignore proxy settings and can leak sensitive data, like your real IP address, your user name, and your time-zone.
- The dark web version of Facebook isn’t malicious, but if you log into it, it will keep your data.
Since you cannot access a library of dark web links using the regular Internet, you can check out platforms dedicated to indexing these sites, like The Hidden Wiki. Since privacy and security are concerns while using the dark web, the websites you visit must have the encryption necessary (HTTPS, preferably) to protect you. However, note that Dark.fail monitors site uptime status and cannot tell whether the site is safe. To stay safe and private when visiting any listed sites, ensure you have a VPN and anti-malware installed and enabled.
While the Tor network was not created for illegal activities, as it’s harder to trace websites to their physical location, cybercriminals have also adopted it to host their websites. Reddit is actually available on the dark web now, so there’s no need to rely on third-party tools to access it via Tor. Just bear in mind that the addition of anonymity to a platform like Reddit causes people to behave without a filter.
The Legality Of Accessing The Dark Web
When you try to connect to a .onion website, Tor will route your traffic through three or more randomly chosen nodes before it reaches your destination website. Each server adds a layer of encryption, and this layered system is what lends The Onion Router its name. The .onion domain ensures both the anonymity of the site owner and the users accessing the site. This dual anonymity is achieved through a series of encrypted relay servers, masking the IP addresses of both parties. On the dark web, traffic is routed through multiple server nodes that don’t log activity, obscuring the user’s origin and enabling anonymous communication. Navigating .onion sites requires the Tor Browser, specifically designed for privacy and accessing the dark web.
Update Your Tor Browser
ZeroBin encrypts any text pasted into it, and its own servers don’t even know what you pasted. You’ll be able to share anything from private messages to passwords across the dark web. Starting with ProPrivacy and now Proton, Douglas has worked for many years as a technology writer. During this time, he has established himself as a thought leader specializing in online privacy. Douglas was invited by the EFF to help host a livestream session in support of net neutrality.
Ensuring Encrypted Communication
They facilitate secure communication over the web and protect from third-party surveillance. Regular browsers can’t open Onion sites because they aren’t part of the standard domain name system. You can access many other sites via the Tor browser, and your requests will be routed through multiple servers to avoid monitoring. However, some websites consider Tor traffic suspicious and make users jump through several hoops, including CAPTCHAs. Others outrightly block Tor users from accessing their platform, so you might not be able to open some popular platforms.
Unfortunately, some oppressive regimes have figured out a way to block Tor traffic. Using a VPN in conjunction with the Tor Browser is an excellent way to keep your online travels secure and private. A VPN’s ability to hide your Tor usage from your ISP and from government authorities makes for a valuable addition to your online privacy arsenal. Also, since the Tor Browser is based on the Mozilla Firefox platform, it’s susceptible to the same attacks that other browsers are. While the Tor Browser and the Onion Network are an excellent way to protect your online privacy and anonymity, it is by no means a perfect solution, and it has a few weaknesses.
Ahmia developers believe that the Tor network is an important distributed platform to protect anonymity and privacy around the world. Another main upside to this site is that it lets you view the number of .onion links and users on the Tor browser network. Data like this can also help estimate how many people actively access the dark web and how many hidden websites truly exist—you can even tell where the users are accessing from.
The dark web is a double-edged sword, offering anonymity but also posing significant risks. It’s a hub for illicit activities, with cybercriminals ready to exploit any weakness. Without the right precautions, your IP address could be exposed, leaving you vulnerable to hacking, tracking, or even identity theft. 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. Privacy advocates frown upon it because of the way it harvests data and profiles users.
Caution: Safety Comes First When Visiting Dark Web Links
Google considers the majority of the content on the entire web highly irrelevant and useless to its users. That’s why such a large percentage (as much as 94%) of the entire web is not returned in Google Search. Practice safe, smart digital habits if you must use Tor to log into personal accounts. For instance, always use strong passwords that mix letters and symbols, making them hard to guess. Use different passwords for each account so that a single compromised account doesn’t affect others.
