What is the dark web?
To phrase it in the most simple way, the dark web is comprised of websites which IP addresses are hidden but the websites themselves are visible to the public. Therefore, anyone can visit these websites but finding the server details on which the corresponding site is running is not easy. In addition, tracking the host of the site is also very difficult. By hiding the server or IP details from the public, the dark web ensures the website visitor's privacy.
More and more legitimate web companies are starting to have presences there,” Tiquet said. “It shows that they’re aware, they’re cutting edge and in the know.”
How to access it?
Most dark websites are not accessible via the standard search engines we all know, as they "hide" themselves. Tor is one of the anonymizing browsers that can help access the dark web. It aims to conceal the identities of its users and their online activity from traffic analysis and surveillance. It does so by separating routing and identification.
More and more legitimate web companies are starting to have presences there,” Patrick Tiquet said. “It shows that they’re aware, they’re cutting edge and in the know.”
Is using the dark web illegal?
The laws, of course, differ from one country to another. However, it is important to understand that not everything on the dark web is illegal, even though it's still part of the "dark" side. The dark web is an enormous network of websites and communities so there are definitely plenty of legal actions to do on the dark web. These activities range from book clubs to crisis preparation. One would still need Tor for example to access these book clubs, but they are there, and they are legal! The Tor network currently serves a beneficial purpose in helping people communicate in environments that are hostile to free speech.
E-Commerce on the dark web
The dark web has recently witnessed a major growth due to many reasons, one of them and perhaps the most essential one is the bitcoin. Almost every commerce site on the dark web conducts transactions in bitcoin, but experts claim it's not safe to do business there. E-commerce in the dark web differs from the deep one in several aspects. One is quality control. The credibility of any rating system is vague and debatable when both the seller and the buyer are anonymous.