History
The Basis of the dark web is complete anonymity with zero personal consequence. The innovation that made all of that possible was actually created by the US government back in the mid 1990s, “Onion Routing” allowed individuals to communicate with total anonymity. This was intended for intelligence operatives or journalists and whistleblowers so they could share information without fear of their safety being compromised.
In 2006, when The Navy released the code for onion routing under a free license, A non-profit organization called “The Tor Project” released the “Tor Browser”. This browser gave the general population access to total anonymity on the internet. And with that, they also could do whatever they wanted with zero risk of it being traced back to them…
Dangers
Unsurprisingly, The Dark Web is a very dangerous place. Using it makes you susceptible to many different dangers:
- Cybercrime:Cyber Crimes such as identity theft and credit/bank fraud are commonplace on the dark web. Due to the total anonymity that criminals have on the dark web, you do not have the protection you would usually have against them.
- Illegal Activity: There is a lot of very illegal activity on the dark web such as drug and weapon trafficking. Engaging with any of those activities could lead to legal repercussions from law enforcement monitoring the dark web
- Hacking: Many websites steal the data of users and install malware onto their devices. This can be used to extort them for information or money
Internet Safety
Here are some steps you can take to secure your safety and information whenever you use the internet:
- STAY AWAY FROM THE DARK WEB AND ILLEGAL WEBSITES. there is no such thing as being completely safe on the dark web.
- Have a firewall in order to protect your device from malware and viruses
- Use a VPN to protect your IP address.
FAQs
Is it illegal to go on the dark web?
No it is not illegal to go on the dark web but engaging in illegal activity on there could lead to legal repercussions.
How do I access the dark web?
Well you shouldn’t be doing that -_- but theoretically you would use a secure browser like tor and then you can enter the url of a dark website.
I ignored your advice about internet safety and avoiding the dark web and my information got leaked! What should I do?
You should immediately change your passwords and any other data that might have been leaked. Monitor your bank and credit statements for any suspicious activity and contact your bank if you see anything. You should periodically use a dark web scanner to see if your data is on the dark web.
Sources
Acton, B. (2024, December 18). The origins and history of the dark web. IdentityIQ. https://www.identityiq.com/articles/the-origins-and-history-of-the-dark-web
Ghappour, A. (2017). Searching places unknown: law enforcement jurisdiction on the dark web. Stanford Law Review, 69(4), 1075+. https://link-gale-com.ccny-proxy1.libr.ccny.cuny.edu/apps/doc/A496567832/AONE?u=cuny_ccny&sid=bookmark-AONE&xid=3def1d10
University, E.-C. (2025, February 6). What is dark web? how it works & why it’s so dangerous. eccuedu. https://www.eccu.edu/blog/the-dark-web-and-its-dangers/
