Is The Dark Web Illegal? Safety Tips for Dark Web Surfing

Internet can be considered to be the home for all the information available on the planet. Every kind of data and information is stored on the internet, and the best thing is, it is free and easily accessible everywhere. Is the dark web illegal, lets discuss about this. What a person needs is a computer and an internet connection to access the internet. From social media to entertainment to knowledge housing, Internet is unarguably one of the most powerful tools at mankind’s disposal.

But what we users access as internet is only tip of the iceberg. The deep web remains hidden from the naked eye. It contains a large amount of unindexed pages by the search engines. The deep web is just like the normal web. But there is a smaller part of this deep web, which houses some of the major illicit activities around the globe. This small portion is coined as the dark web.

Over the years, the dark web has gained infamous notoriety around the world. This has risen the question amongst the public; ‘Is the dark web illegal?’

What is the dark web?

Dark web can be considered a subset of the deep web. What differentiates the dark web from the deep web is the type of services, content and knowledge they house. The dark web consists of several peer-to-peer networks and network overlays which are controlled by an individual, community, or organizations. To access the dark web, one needs special software and changes in authorization and configurations as well. (For browsing dark web with safely, follow this tutorial)Is the dark web illegal or not is still a matter of debate.

What all can you find on the dark web?

There is perhaps no limitations on the kind of information or data you can find on the dark web. Over the years, the type of illicit activities has manifested to a whole new level. These activities are not just limited to illegal goods or drugs and arms trafficking, but something much worse. This article tries to press on the issue whether the dark web is illegal or not. Here is a list of some of the illicit activities and malcontent you can expect to find on the dark web.

Illegal pornography:

Pornography is not illegal around the globe. In fact it is a multibillion dollar industry today. But on the dark web, you can expect to find child pornography and even revenge porn. These children are trafficked from poor nations and forced into prostitution. Child pornography is a federal offense, but the dark web allows these videos to be shared anonymously. Along with revenge porn, there are videos of sexualized and torturing of animals as well.

Illegal goods trafficking:

The dark net marketplace is one of the most flourishing online market places in the world, comparable and even beating the likes of eBay and Amazon. Stolen goods and priceless artifacts are sold anonymously at an extremely high price. Apart from the stolen goods, these online marketplaces also trade all kinds of drugs and weapons around the globe. The terrorists and criminals have started using the dark web to facilitate all their weapons and drugs so that they can stay hidden from law enforcement agencies.

Mal services:

The dark net also houses a variety of mal services user can hire for their needs. These services include freelance terrorists, hit men, and black hat hackers and buy subscription of various malwares and viruses.

Cryptocurrencies:

Bitcoins and other such cryptocurrencies are prevalent on the dark web as the only form of currency. Cryptocurrencies ensure total anonymity, and over the years, the value of these has exponentially increased.

Social media:

The dark web also hosts a variety of social media platforms in contrast to Facebook, twitter etc. These platforms ensure that the dark web users stay in touch anonymously.

Is the dark web really illegal?

One often wonders that if the dark web is not legal, why it hides in plain sight. It is important to know that browsing the deep web, especially the dark web is not illegal. One can access the dark web at any time he/she wants. The illegal part comes into play when the user gets involved in illicit activities. Accessing the dark web is not straight forward, and one must take strict caution of not getting involved in any criminal or illegal activities. Severe punishment is subjected on users found performing illegal activities on the dark web.

Some safety tips for your dark web surfing

You can take some basic steps in making sure you are not a victim of the dark web. Here are some of the tips.

• Always use Tor for browsing the dark web. This way your identity will be hidden from other people in a complete way.
• Do not trust blindly to anyone you meet on the dark web.
• If possible, disable your webcam and java script cookies before accessing the dark web.
• Do not enter your personal details anywhere on the dark web.
• Be aware of things you buy on the dark web.

The Last Words

Although the dark web is a place where all sorts of criminal and illicit activities occur, it is not illegal to access the content and data on the dark web. One must be extremely careful not to get involved in any misconduct.