Dark Web Explained: What It Is, How It Works, and Why It Matters

In this Unscammable podcast episode, we explain what you need to know about the dark web. We explain what the Dark Web is and how it works and take a peek at the unexpected ways people and major companies like Facebook use it. Yes. The company that works overtime to make our data available to everyone also lets people use their platform with total anonymity. Spoiler alert: A lot of bad things happen down there, but it's not all bad. 🕵️‍♂️🌐

Author

Linda Fawcus
October 10, 2024 • Estimated Reading Time: 13 minutes

About the Artificial Intelligence Tool Used in This Podcast

We used Google NotebookLM for this podcast—it’s a cool AI experiment that dives into documents. The voices are totally AI. Just two hosts chatting about Ms. Fawcus' work. The best part? Everything you hear comes straight from her research—no made-up AI stuff sneaking in.

Sure, our AI hosts might stumble over a word or two and throw in some "likes" and "rights," but the result is incredibly realistic. It feels like you’re listening to real people in a studio. It’s amazing how far this tech has come.

Quick Summary of This Unscammable Episode

The dark web is not just for cybercriminals—it’s a layered, complex part and hidden of the internet that provides privacy and anonymity for everyone.

  • Attracts anyone who needs privacy, like journalists, whistleblowers, or people living in countries that don't allow access to the web. 

  • The U.S. government created it in the late 1990s to protect the anonymity of intelligence agents. Then, in about 2004, it was opened up to the public. 

  • The dark web is not one product that launched into the world. It has evolved over the past 20 years or so as anonymizing technologies like Tor were developed. It continues to adapt, much like the web you are using now to read this post does. Think of how much your browser has changed in that time. 

  • The dark web is super small. It’s about 0.01% of the entire internet. 

  • You can't visit the dark web by accident. To use it, you need special software like the Tor browser.

Why Does the Dark Web Exist?

Here's a quick list of some things the dark web can do that the surface web, where you're reading this post from, can't:

  • Bypass Censorship: Allows users in countries with internet restrictions to access the web.

  • Protects Free Speech: Allows anyone to share sensitive information anonymously.

  • Allows for Truly Private Social Networks: On the dark web, people can have truly anonymous conversations about sensitive topics like mental health.

  • Whistleblower Security: It makes anonymous document sharing possible.

  • Protects Libraries and Archives: Hosts information that might be censored elsewhere.

Dispelling Myths About the Dark Web

We always hear about the dark web being this wild, lawless place where anything goes. But that's not the whole story. Keep in mind that the dark web was created by the US Government, after all. Law enforcement agencies worldwide constantly monitor it and regularly crack down on illegal activity. It's a bit of a whack-a-mole approach, much like it is in the real world.

Fun Facts

  • It’s Not Pretty: The dark web looks like a stripped down version of the web you are used to. You'll find websites, forums, and marketplaces but with super limited design and selling a whole lot of stuff, we hope you don’t want to buy. People are there for the product, so things don't need to look pretty on the dark web.

  • Major News Sites Are Down There: Outlets like The New York Times, BBC, and The Guardian have set up dark web versions of their websites. This gives them uncensored access to people living in restricted regions.

  • Dark Web Facebook Exists: You can use a private version of Facebook on the dark web, that not even Facebook can steal data from. This gives people a way to connect securely and privately, even in countries that don't allow citizens to access the "real" Facebook. These countries include China, Russia, North Korea, Uganda, Iran, etc. Something to think about when you're planning a bucket list trip.

  • Websites Die Quickly: Nearly half of dark web sites disappear within a year because of law enforcement actions or other factors. There are about 75,000 sites as of this writing. 

Transcript

Here’s the transcript from this episode. A little background about our podcast “hosts”. We call them Izzy and Will—not to make them more human, but to make them easier to talk about. 😉🤖

Will: Ever heard of Silk Road?

Izzy: Silk Road?

Will: Yeah, it was this, uh, massive online black market.

Izzy: Oh, right.

Will: Back in 2015, the FBI took it down.

Izzy: Yeah, yeah.

Will: It was hidden deep within the dark web. You know that place most people only hear whispers about? Yeah. It's kind of like, imagine stepping through a secret door in the back of some ordinary shop.

Izzy: Okay.

Will: And you find yourself in this bustling marketplace. But instead of everyday goods, they're dealing in forbidden information.

Izzy: Wow.

Will: And, well, let's just say things you can't find on Amazon.

Izzy: Right. Right.

Will: So today we are diving headfirst into this digital labyrinth. We're going to uncover its origins. Separate fact from fiction and explore why it matters to you, even if you've never ventured beyond a Google search.

Izzy: I think when most people picture the dark web, they think, like, massive underworld, right?

Will: Right, yeah.

Izzy: What if I told you it's actually minuscule compared to the rest of the internet?

Izzy: Think of it like an iceberg, okay? The tip, the part everyone sees, that's your everyday internet. Google, social media, online shopping. But then you've got this massive chunk, hidden below the surface. Right. That's the deep web. Your online banking logins. Private company databases, academic journals. It's all there. Protected, but not necessarily malicious.

Will: Okay, so where does the dark web fit into this?

Izzy: Now imagine a tiny snowflake right on the tip of that iceberg.

Will: Snowflake.

Izzy: That's the dark web.

Will: Wow. Small.

Izzy: But mighty, shrouded in anonymity.

Will: Right.

Izzy: Accessed through specialized software.

Will: Like Tor,

Izzy: right? Exactly.

Will: To make it almost impossible to track? It is, it's like, imagine sending a postcard.

Izzy: Okay.

Will: But instead of sending it directly. Yeah.

Izzy: You route it through dozens of intermediaries. All across the globe. Each address scribbled over the last one. So the final person who receives it has no idea where it came from.

Will: Right.

Izzy: Now imagine that but with digital encryption on top of it.

Will: Layers upon layers of encryption. Exactly. So that's Tor.

Izzy: Yeah.

Will: And that's the backbone of the dark web.

Izzy: That's the essence of it, yeah. But

Will: what about the dark web origins?

Izzy: The origins story is. It's not what you might expect.

Will: What do you mean?

Izzy: It actually started as a U. S. government project.

Will: You're kidding.

Izzy: I'm not. They designed it to protect intelligence agents online.

Will: Wow.

Izzy: Then, in a really interesting twist, they released the technology to the public.

Will: So the same tech that was built for spies ended up creating this haven for, well, everyone, it seems.

Izzy: Pretty much.

Will: I mean, you have journalists facing censorship, whistleblowers exposing corruption,

Izzy: Yeah.

Will: Even everyday people who just want to have a private conversation and they don't want prying eyes looking in on them.

Izzy: That's the beauty of it. It can be used for so many different purposes.

Will: Give me an example of that.

Izzy: Have you ever heard of a secure drop?

Will: Secure drop? Rings a bell, but I'm not totally sure.

Izzy: So it's this platform that journalists use to receive anonymous tips and sensitive information.

Will: I see.

Izzy: So let's say you're a journalist in a country with really strict media control, and someone wants to expose, like, government corruption. They can use SecureDrop. On the dark web, share files, documents, whatever it may be.

Will: And it's totally secure.

Izzy: Secure. And their identity is protected.

Will: Wow, that's incredible.

Izzy: Things like the Panama Papers, you know, exposing that global network of tax evasion. Right. Things like that were brought to light because of platforms like this.

Will: So it's not just about, buying illegal goods on shady marketplaces.

Izzy: Right. It's not just that.

Will: Those definitely exist.

Izzy: They do. They do exist.

Will: But it's really about leveraging anonymity. For both good and bad.

Izzy: Exactly. That's a great way to put it.

Will: It's almost like a digital city. Yeah. You've got your well-lit avenues. And then you've got your shadowy back alleys.

Izzy: And like a city, it's constantly evolving.

Will: What do you mean?

Izzy: Well, a study showed that something like half of all dark websites. Disappear. Within a year.

Will: Wow.

Izzy: They vanish as quickly as they appear.

Will: Why is that?

Izzy: Could be a bunch of reasons.

Will: Like what?

Izzy: Law enforcement crackdowns. Scams collapsing in on themselves. Even simple neglect.

Will: So even finding your way back to the same site could be a challenge?

Izzy: Exactly, it's constantly changing.

Will: It's like a maze that's shifting beneath your feet.

Izzy: That's a great way to put it.

Will: But what about everyday folks? Not just journalists or whistleblowers. We've all heard about how Facebook, they're obsessed with data.

Izzy: Right, right.

Will: Could the dark web offer an escape from that?

Izzy: Potentially. Yeah.

Will: So I could disappear into the dark web.

Izzy: Not disappear, but become more anonymous.

Will: So the dark web could it be like a refuge from that in a way?

Izzy: Yeah, potentially

Will: Interesting

Izzy: Because, in fact, even Facebook has a presence on the dark web.

Will: Hold on Facebook. What are they doing there?

Izzy: Well, it might sound strange but it actually highlights two key reasons why the dark web exists in the first place.

Will: Okay, what are they?

Izzy: First, it gets around censorship. In countries where Facebook is blocked.

Will: Right, right.

Izzy: The dark web version lets people connect. And communicate freely. So

Will: it's like a backdoor to Facebook. For people who wouldn't normally have access. . Okay, that's one reason. What's the second?

Izzy: This might surprise you. It actually offers a layer of privacy that even Facebook can't touch.

Will: Really?

Izzy: Remember, the Tor browser masks your IP address.

Will: Okay.

Izzy: So it's much harder for anyone, even Facebook, to track your activity. A more private version of the platform.

Will: That's a trip.

Izzy: It is, it's very interesting. So we've

Will: got journalists, whistleblowers, privacy conscious folks. Yeah. Even Facebook all hanging out in the shadows.

Izzy: It's a diverse crowd, that's for sure.

Will: But what about the actual layout of the dark web?

Izzy: What do you mean?

Will: Like, does it have websites?

Izzy: Oh yeah.

Will: Search engines? Yeah,

Izzy: it has all that.

Will: What would I even see if I went in there?

Izzy: You'd find websites, marketplaces, forums. Okay. But don't expect, you know, the sleek, user-friendly experience of the Surface Web.

Will: So it's not as easy to use.

Izzy: Let's just say it's a different experience.

Will: Give me an example.

Izzy: Think less one-click order. And more, am I gonna get hacked by clicking on this?

Will: Oh, so more proceed with extreme caution.

Izzy: Exactly. A lot of the websites, they're very minimalistic, often text based, prioritizing anonymity and functionality over flashy design.

Will: So it's all about practicality over there. So it's not all bad.

Izzy: Not at all. It's much more diverse than most people realize.

Will: And more than meets the eye.

Izzy: Exactly. It's full of surprises.

Will: But let's be real. The dark web's got this reputation for illegal activity. And that didn't come from nowhere.

Izzy: That's true. It's there for a reason.

Will: It's true. There's a reason the dark web makes people think of cybercrime.

Izzy: Yeah. It's a real problem.

Will: Didn't a study find that over half of dark websites are connected to something illegal?

Izzy: It was a big chunk, something like that, yeah

Will: So it's a real issue right, people think they can do whatever they want and get away with it

Izzy: That's what they think, but law enforcement agencies are always working, trying to infiltrate and shut down these illegal operations.

Will: Like that game, what's it called?

Izzy: Whack A Mole?

Will: Yeah, Whack A Mole, you shut one down and another one pops up.

Izzy: It's a constant battle.

Will: It makes you wonder, though, if some of its principles, like anonymity and encryption, could become mainstream one day.

Izzy: That's an interesting question, isn't it? Like, imagine if we could all browse the web with this extra layer of privacy.

Will: Yeah, like, our data is actually ours.

Izzy: Exactly

Will: Well, that's it for our deep dive into the dark web. Until next time, stay curious, everyone.