The Internet has become an integral part of our lives. Especially during this lockdown, our entire life has shifted to the virtual platform. Every age group has become familiar with this thing called “web” and undoubtedly, it has a lot to offer to everyone. But do we actually know what all this “web” hides behind it?
10 percent! What is this figure? Well, this is the amount of internet you or any other person might be exposed to. Yes! As surprising as it might sound, it is the reality. The rest of the internet is covered under the “dark web”.
What Is the Dark Web?
The dark web is a decentralized network of internet sites that try to make users as anonymous as possible by routing all their communications through multiple servers and encrypting it at every step. It is a part of the internet that isn't indexed by search engines. Websites on the dark web don’t end in “.com” or “.org” or other more common web address endings. Instead, they more often include long strings of letters and numbers, ending in “.onion” or “.i2p.”
What Happens on the Dark Web?
A question might be, then why does it exist? Well, some people just feel extremely and strongly cautious about their privacy and prefer to be in a place where they can’t be watched, even if they’re just playing online chess. Other people want to communicate out of reach of governments they consider tyrannical.
Check out this article to know more about the bright places on the darknet
Many of the dark web’s most widely known sites have been criminal. Some of these activities include the buying and selling of drugs, firearms, stolen financial data, and other types of valuable information. Activities like these find a bigger base through the dark web as the selling point for them is anonymity. Hence such threats pose a large danger to society.
Another important and dangerous threat that the dark web poses are financial data leakage. Security incidents like these threaten the digital and financial security of millions of people. This consequence is especially concerning when government agencies are the ones victimized, as these entities might store numerous categories of information for each individual.
Is It Illegal to Access the Dark Web?
No! Of course not! It is nothing special. It is just a part of the internet where you go anonymous. Some uses are perfectly legal and support the value of the “dark web.” The dark web has attracted many parties who would otherwise be endangered by revealing their identities online. Abuse and persecution victims, whistleblowers, and political dissidents have been frequent users of these hidden sites.
In particular, there might be a few websites that would be illegal. The biggest threat of the dark web is that you will never know where you will land. You could potentially be participating in illegal behavior if you participate in certain forums, especially if it includes threats, hate speech, or inciting or encouraging criminal behavior. Through research conducted in London in 2015, it was found that 57% of the sites on the dark web-hosted illicit material.
Positives of the Dark Web
Many users consider this hidden cave of the internet as a place to communicate freely without being known. This allows them to post stuff that otherwise might create problems on the person’s identity. The anonymity of the entire process also stops the websites from saving the user’s information and sharing without permission.
Another usefulness of the dark web comes in academia. Research articles and papers which are otherwise really costly for researchers can be found easily and free of cost over this web. While being illegal, this service has, in fact, supported in the academic community for spreading the work of the researcher.
Negatives of the Dark Web
The dark web empowers ordinary people, but some people will inevitably abuse that power. The dark web can make it easier to commit some of the worst crimes. For example, the combination of the dark web and cryptocurrencies theoretically makes it much easier to hire someone to commit a murder.
While the dark web promises privacy to its users, it can also be used to violate the privacy of others. Private photos, medical records, and financial information have all been stolen and shared on the dark web. Records have shown some of the most heinous crimes being committed through the dark web.
Read more about the various crimes committed on the dark web
It might be useful for some people but that section of people is too small to be considered. It is like a maze where someone enters by their wish but cannot leave when they want. And one never knows which place you are going to end in!
Conclusion
The Dark Web is a double-edged sword, but it’s one that is freely wielded by the public with minimal intrusion from governments — a fact that is both terrifying and encouraging.
Authorities will continue efforts to block access to the dark web and the threats to legitimacy that it poses by enabling dissidents and activists. The reality of the dark web is much more complicated and will be far from the reach of any person.
After knowing about this deeper side of the web, you should definitely have a look at this article that deals with reducing cybercrime!
Written By - Riya Garg
Edited By - Neha Kundu
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