Dark Web vs Deep Web – Know The Difference

The deep web is the hidden web, a part of the World Wide Web that cannot be accessed by anyone using the standard search engine. Like our private messages on our social media accounts, our online banking details, and all such things.

The content that can be accessed by using the standard search engine is a part of the Surface web. Although the deep web does not pose any threats or dangers to your computers, it is safe.

The dark web is a badly reputed sub-category of the deep web. It is the content of the World Wide Web presented on the darknet, you need to have certain software, configurations, and authorization apps to access the dark web websites. The dark web is known to have a lot of illegal content on it, not everything is illegal, but most of the activities are illegal.

It’s better to stay off the dark web because of certain reasons, users usually abuse the dark web through human trafficking, drug dealing, child pornography, and things like this. The dark web is usually used by people like these because they can conduct whatsoever anonymously, and their personal information or location cannot be accessed.

However, not all sites are for illegal purposes here, you might find some interesting websites too.

Top Dark Web Sites That Don’t Show Up On Google

It is recommended to install Tor browser for these links, they are not accessible on a standard browser.

Mail2Tor

Your email service providers scan your emails. This is why you see relevant search results and advertisements. This shows that emails are not safe to communicate with others. Your inbox contents are accessible to your email service providers.

A good alternative for these email service providers is Mail2Tor. It is a Tor hidden service that allows its users to send and receive emails anonymously through webmail to email addresses inside and outside the Tor network. This service is safe and secure, the providers don’t store your IP address, and everything is secured using encryption.

Facebook

Facebook is one of the biggest social media platforms, and it allows its users to connect, communicate and come together with people from all over the world. Facebook knows a lot about us, a lot more than we can even imagine. This social media platform has been a target of the authoritarian government from time to time.

Facebook has a .onion URL, and it is not a surprise, we all know this. Facebook lets you access the social media network from censored countries but does not help much in preserving an anonymous account.

ProPublica

ProPublica has won the Pulitzer prize five-times. The brand focuses on exposing the abuse of power by higher authority individuals in the government and business sector.

ProPublica is a non-profit newsroom that brings out inquisitive journalism with upright right-minded effort and impact. They go for important problems, throwing light on the misuse of powers and deceiving people’s trust.

Funded by organizations like Sandler Foundation, ProPublica has made numerous contributions in the fight for privacy and unrestrained speech. ProPublica is the first big online newsroom to have a .onion URL.

DuckDuckGo

Google shows you relevant advertisements and search results because it saves your search history and uses cookies to track you. Your search is not safe and private. Another alternative for google is DuckDuckGo.

DuckDuckGo is a search engine just like Google and Yahoo, but unlike them, its search is completely anonymous. The founder of DuckDuckGo claims that they don’t track you and they do not use any cookies. Also, even your IP address is hidden and cannot be accessed. According to them, they protect us from them also. You can get decent answers for most of your questions with an additional layer of privacy and anonymity, along with fast results.

Hidden Answers

Just like Reddit and Quora, Hidden Answers is a website where people can ask and answer regarding anything. Hidden Answers is one of the most popular websites on the dark web. Users of this website discuss various topics, ask and give information or guidance and share their experiences and stories.

People on Hidden Answers ask crime-related questions, questions related to drugs and other illegal things, but it’s not a surprise since the dark web is known to have illegal content. However, this website provides anonymity and does not take or release any type of information, and provides complete security, unlike Reddit, Yahoo Answers, and Quora. It is an alternative for all these platforms

Dark Web Sites: How are they distinguished?

Generally, web sites on the dark web are built just like any other site we see on the clearnet. With some exceptions, like the naming structure, dark web sites end with .onion that is different from typical web sites addresses that mostly end with .com, .org, etc.

The different suffix .onion is for a nameless concealed service creation that will be accessible by dark web browsers such as Tor. The browsers with suitable proxy can reach sites with such URLs while the surface internet browsers like Duck Duck Go, Chrome, and Bing are unable to do that.

Along with that, dark websites also use a complicated naming structure that generates difficult and easily-forgettable URLs. One such prevalent dark web ecommerce website named Dream Market goes by the incomprehensible address of “dh64mmjg8b3c.onion.” The biggest reason for the naming system is that dark web content owners are often careful about security, very agile, which is why dark web context disappears after some time.

Dark Web Commerce

After the advent of the bitcoin, most of the trade on the dark web is done by cryptocurrency. Bitcoin is a cryptocurrency that works as a trusted third party exchange between two trading parties, but Monero is a better cryptocurrency for illicit transactions since it is untraceable and completely anonymous. All the commerce activities on the dark web are similar to the normal e-retail operations. It includes shopping carts, ratings/reviews, and forums. But in dark web dealings, both buyers and sellers are anonymous so, ratings can be manipulative and misleading. The dark web is such an unpredictable place that sellers with long track records disappear anytime with all the buyer’s bitcoins. There is no credibility at all.

Many dark web e-commerce sites propose some escrow services to keep buyer’s money on hold until customers get their ordered products. Though, in the disputed event, buyers do not suppose that dark web sellers will offer a service with a smile.

Often, the disputes between buyer and seller are resolved by the mutually agreed decision of both parties as there is no customer service so, most of the time outcomes are unpredictable and heated. While all communications are encrypted, thus for the meekest transaction, buyers need a PGP key.

Dark web commerce is such undependable that after completion of the transition there is no assurance that the ordered products will arrive. Because various products and goods have to pass from global borders.

The dark web has its own news web site called Deep.Dot.Web, which is loaded with buyer stories that depict jailed or arrested customers for their illicit buying. Distinguishing a deep website is not difficult, but making sure your transactions are safe, is another matter, so as the old saying goes: ‘Let the buyer beware.’