Mini Blog: Darknet and Tor and Other Things I Shouldn't Know About

From what I've gathered, Dakrnet is the "hidden internet." You must connect to regular internet and the Tor network to access Darknet. Before I explain further about Darknet, let me first explain what Tor is.

Tor is an acronym for "The Onion Router." It is considered a privacy tool. It is a downloadable software, for computers and Android phones, that allows its users complete anonymity online by bouncing from internet severs and website traffic.

 It keeps people, whether it be groups like the government or individuals like your wife, from tracking your online habits. It was initially developed by the US navy in 2002. It is used by people wanting to avoid advertising websites from tracking them, people concerned about spying, and even political activists in other parts of the world. 

Okay, back to Darknet...

So there are a lot of good things on Darknet and bad. A huge portion of it is really people seeking a place to discuss or learn about politics because they live under a tyranny. There's also a lot of illegal stuff going down, and there have been quite a few busts on the site - especially where the Silk Road is concerned. (Which I have unwittingly found out is like the website for all things illegal on Ebay..fun)

So, being that Darknet is so anonymous and a little sketchy, links can be hard to find within it. You follow a list of links and clicking on anything within a page can take you somewhere else. And you never know what you'll see on there. 

It is not completely impenetrable, as I mentioned there have been busts. You are just as susceptible to viruses and hackers as you would be on the internet. It goes to say, do not trust any sites for information that you wouldn't normally on the regular internet just because you think you're untraceable.

So, Darknet (and Tor) isn't all good or all bad. There are indeed illegal activities going on, but that's not what it's all about. Tor Metrics shows countries under hard rule are using the network more and more.

It's all about how you use these types of websites!

Categories: darknet, silk road, sketchiness, tor