Tor Metrics is a dark web site that keeps track of who’s using the Tor network and where they’re accessing it. It’s an interesting resource that translates Tor internet traffic levels into easy-to-digest stats. Riseup provides email and chat services that keep no record of your online activity. Accessing ProPublica via the Tor Browser gives users an added layer of privacy and lets them bypass restrictive government censorship.
Financial Services
To look at it in a different way, it makes up between 90% and 95% of the internet. The dark web is a part of the internet that isn’t indexed by search engines. You’ve no doubt heard talk of the “dark web” as a hotbed of criminal activity — and it is.
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From cybersecurity researchers to IT managers, understanding how to navigate the dark web can help monitor cyber threats, protect sensitive data, and investigate cybersecurity incidents. This website used to host over 7,000 onion sites, giving users access to many dark web links. The listed links were well-grouped for a simpler browsing experience. Indeed, Proton offers an onion dark web version of our website so that people in some of the most repressive parts of the world can access our services. As such, it’s important to be extremely careful when accessing the dark web, as you could inadvertently access a site containing, displaying, or linking to illicit content in some form. It’s illegal to use the dark web for any form of criminal activity, like buying stolen goods, drugs, user accounts, and so on.
Quick list of the best dark websites in 2026
Instead, visitors must access sites on the Tor Network using a special browser developed by the Tor Project. Archive Today’s .onion link allows users to access its web page archiving service anonymously, preserving snapshots of websites for future reference. The platform has saved millions of web pages, ensuring information remains available even if the original sources are removed or changed. It is a popular tool for journalists, researchers, and users who need to document online content. Hidden, encrypted and out of reach of traditional search engines, the dark web is a place where anonymity rules. Users slip into this shadowy realm using a anonymizing browser, like Tor (The Onion Ring) browser, and a Virtual Private Network (VPN) to protect their identity and secure their connection.
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Riseup is a collaborative organization created by people doing activism to provide secure, encrypted means of communication via the internet and assist in bringing change within society. Even with user-chosen curated lists, diligence is the last line of protection for users. In the Dark Web, a service like this can be very helpful as it provides users with a way to verify the trustworthiness of other users. This creates a verified and encrypted communication pathway between users, which enables them to speak with greater confidence about who they are communicating with. It is another example of a high-authority, reliable service that belongs on any list of best dark web sites for those seeking legitimate access to world-class reporting. Using this method protects your anonymity while you browse the top dark net sites by masking your identity with two layers of privacy between you and the websites.
What is Digital Risk Protection (DRP)? Complete Security Guide
Use Secure Drop if you need to privately share data with a publication. Dread considers itself “the front page of the dark net” and many liken it to a dark web version of Reddit. You can go there to get answers to any questions you might have and stay completely anonymous.
Recognize and avoid phishing links
The Tor network (“The Onion Router”) gives access to the Dark Web. Accessing the dark web may not be illegal in most areas, but you should be prepared for the chance of encountering illegal/harmful content. If you follow these steps, you will have an excellent chance of being able to explore “safe” dark web content that poses minimal risk to yourself. Marketplaces often collapse when servers, hosting providers, or related services are seized.
Why would I want to access the dark web?
It can only interact with the gateway, the most effective method by which the browser protects user applications from learning a device’s IP address. While accessing the dark web using Mozilla Firefox is possible, you must first adjust its settings. To prevent detection, the program runs user data via a tiered stream before allowing access to the dark web.
Verify .onion Addresses from Trusted Sources
Even large, trusted organizations, like The New York Times and Wikipedia, have official dark web domains of their own. Understanding the technical architecture behind darknet links is crucial for safe navigation within this encrypted ecosystem. In most ways, the dark web resembles the clear web, but dark web sites often have a text-heavy, minimalistic design focused on anonymity and functionality.
What are onion sites and dark web websites?
Your online activity and communicationsremain private and secret on the dark web. Because of this, some people use it to get around government restrictions, while others use it for darknet link illegal activities like smuggling drugs and weapons. Lastly, the dark web is the portion of the deep web that is generally inaccessible and is much larger than the surface web.
- Tor websites use .onion URLs (as opposed to .com, .net .org, etc.) and can be reached directly or found via keyword searches on dark web search engines, just like regular sites.
- Some versions of the Hidden Wiki attempt to exclude illegal content, but the safety of links cannot be guaranteed.
- If you’re planning to visit the dark web, make sure you use a trustworthy VPN with advanced features working together to protect your privacy.
- VPN encryption protects your data from being intercepted while on the dark web.
- That said, you still might get malicious links in your search results, so you still need to proceed with caution with any page DuckDuckGo takes you to.
- This is a hardened version of Firefox that, by default, automatically routes all your connections through the Tor network.
- What should you do if your information is found in a data breach or you think it’s been leaked somewhere?
- Then, install Norton 360 Deluxe to get AI-powered scam detection to help secure your browsing against online threats.
Boost your privacy when browsing the web with a VPN
That includes being able to create an email address without using a phone number. Enter an optional email address or phone number that you can use to recover your account if you ever forget or lose your password. If you choose Email, you must provide a non-Proton Mail account to receive a code. Many organizations, including Human Rights Watch(new window) and the Electronic Frontier Foundation(new window), also support the use of and access to the dark web. Because of their closed nature, these darknets also make it impossible to know how many people actually use Freenet. However, on top of this basic file-hosting framework, volunteers have developed applications that allow for websites, message boards, and more.
Social media
Deep web refers to anything on the internet that is not indexed by and, therefore, accessible via a search engine like Google. Deep web content includes anything behind a paywall or requires sign-in credentials. It also includes any content that its owners have blocked web crawlers from indexing. Instead, download Tor, the most secure and user-friendly option for accessing .onion sites.
I strongly advise doing your own research to make sure you’re not breaking any local laws by visiting the dark web. Also, even in countries where accessing the dark web is legal, it’s still against the law to use or host sites that promote criminal activities. However, make sure you’re careful which links you click on — some of them lead to sites that contain illegal content and services.
Deep Search
Immediately close your entire Tor Browser window (not just that active tab). Note that engaging with the content in any way is not only distressing but could also put you at legal risk. This is because law enforcement often actively monitors these sites. Unfortunately, others are fake and fraudulent websites that exploit the reputation of the dark web to con people.
- DuckDuckGo is the default search engine on the Tor Browser and one of the most trusted options for private searching.
- The Not Evil search engine takes an explicitly unfiltered approach to dark web search.
- These platforms aren’t part of the Tor network, so dark web search engines can’t index them.
- Our curated list of legitimate dark web sites above offers a safe entry point for first-time explorers.
- Tor is like the public-facing door to the dark web, and there are even mobile apps for Android and iOS.
- TorDex is one of the largest uncensored search engines for the dark web.
- And most importantly, be patient as you’ve to sort through a lot of useless results.
- At Proton, giving you the ability to easily protect your privacy and most sensitive, valuable information in your digital life is central to everything we do.
- In addition, Darknetlive has a list of dark web vendors, which is very convenient — it offers detailed information about each vendor, including .onion addresses (in alphabetical order) and FAQs.
- Unlike many imitators, this is the official Hidden Wiki that maintains a curated directory of legitimate .onion services.
- Darren Guccione is the CEO and co-founder of Keeper Security, the world’s most popular password manager and secure digital vault.
- Major news outlets like The New York Times, The Economist, and The Guardian host SecureDrop instances on the dark web to give sources a safe, anonymous way to share sensitive information.
Even if Google tried, site operators could block standard crawlers. Criminals monitor for researchers, and mistakes can expose your identity or compromise your systems. Torch is one of the oldest dark web search engines, operating since the early days of Tor. Its longevity means a massive index built over years of crawling. With all of that in mind, you need to tread carefully when browsing, in terms of the sites you visit and the other users you interact with. Bear in mind too that laws about freedom of speech and censorship vary from country to country, which is part of the reason the dark web exists in the first place.
- It is a good website for finding out which websites are currently working.
- Install Avast SecureLine VPN to encrypt your internet connection and protect your privacy wherever you go online.
- I have to admit to having a soft spot for Tunnels, an onion website about underground “urban” exploration.
- TorLinks serves as a backup or secondary directory site to the popular Hidden Wiki.
- Accessing tunnels is illegal and dangerous, which is why records of these “adventures” can only be found on the dark web.
I have to admit to having a soft spot for Tunnels, an onion website about underground “urban” exploration. Apart from having that “As above, so below” vibe, Tunnels is a great source of info for users who are into dark urban history. The website contains pictures and videos of various cavern-like structures, shafts, and possibly escape tunnels.
While people and organizations do host legitimate and useful sites on the dark web, it’s still best to tread cautiously. Despite Tor’s privacy-focused design, malicious entities are more likely to target your data in transit and on .onion sites. Using Tor to access dark web links isn’t illegal, but your ISP will notice, and others may too. It’s, ironically, more conspicuous than using popular browsers and sites. The dark web contains content that’s only accessible through networks like Tor.
Cyberattacks are rising every year, affecting individuals and organizations alike. That’s why it’s essential to stay protected no matter where you browse. Riseup is a nonprofit, volunteer-run email provider for activists around the world. Activists in Seattle founded it in the late 1990s to keep their communications safe.
As I’ve mentioned, the dark web isn’t just a place of eternal torment, teeming with drug dealers, human traffickers, and a hitman. It’s also used by journalists, advocacy group members, and political refugees in hiding. Reuters, Fox, NBC, CNN – all of them keep open dark web channels to receive anonymous tips from whistleblowers. Always remember that the dark web is a people-centric community. So, it’s only natural to find ways to keep in touch with your darknet buddies and/or customers.