• How To Access The Dark Web Safely? Using A VPN
The anonymity of the deep web sites makes it complicated for law enforcement agencies to find criminals from these platforms and prosecute them. Before we get into dark web search engines, let’s get into what the dark web is. The dark web is a hidden collective of sites that you can only access through special browsers, most commonly the Tor Browser.
TOR or the Onion Router was a project developed and established for secret operations. During its glorious times, dark web was an enchanting mystery for users. The principle of maximum-security laid foundation during this time. They host illegal content and act as secure solutions for trading banned items. This medium can be used to exhibit contents which are otherwise legally barred.
This Tor website is essentially the dark web equivalent of major online forums like Quora or Reddit. Once inside, you will likely be forced to pass a (pretty difficult) bot check, similar to a captcha but more annoying. It might take you a couple of tries, but eventually, you’ll get in. The Hidden Wiki is a great place to begin your search on the dark web. It’s a community-edited wiki full of site indexes that is one of the oldest link directories on the dark web. Privacy and anonymity also make this an ideal terrain for illicit activities like buying and selling drugs, weapons, or hiring a hit man.
Surfshark has some of the most affordable plans on the market, making it a great pick for anyone who needs a secure VPN to visit dark web sites and is also on a tight budget. Private Internet Access (PIA) has very user-friendly and customizable apps, allows Tor traffic on all servers, and provides great security. On average, I had really good browsing speeds — .onion sites loaded in 2–3 seconds, HD videos loaded in 5 seconds, and there was only minor buffering at the start of the videos. ExpressVPN is my favorite VPN for browsing pages on the dark web in 2024 — it supports Tor traffic, provides excellent security and privacy features, and has very fast speeds.
Torch, being the longest-standing search engine on the Tor network, possesses the vastest collection of .onion links, comprising more than 1 billion indexed .onion pages. Additionally, it provides supplementary details regarding search outcomes, such as page sizes for your reference, all while ensuring the non-logging of your activities. Among other things, you can see how many people use the Tor browser and how many .onion websites there are. The statistics of Tor users can also give you a good indication of how much activity there is on the dark web, how many hidden services exist, and where most users on the dark web are from. The Hidden Wiki is a dark web version of Wikipedia that offers links to different websites on the dark web. It lists dark web sites in one place and provides information on a range of topics, including conspiracy theories.
But I had much faster speeds with ExpressVPN and Private Internet Access. Ahmia is a search engine for .onion sites — you search for a keyword and Ahmia retrieves relevant results. I tested it 10+ times and it always provided me with accurate search results.
Understanding Onion Links Sites
There are search engines on the dark web, but most of them have a hard time keeping up with the rapidly changing landscape. In fact, even the best dark web search engines like Grams often show results that are repetitive and usually unrelated to the query. When you purchase things online using cryptocurrency, third-parties can still link your transactions to your identity. The service scrambles your Bitcoin with that of other crypto users, affording you complete anonymity. SecureDrop is software platform that NGOs and media organizations can install to accept leaked information from whistleblowers safely. It also comes with a functionality that allows journalists to communicate with their source(s) in a private manner.
The internet is a vast landscape, often categorized into segments based on accessibility and security. One of the most intriguing segments is the deep web, where onion links sites operate under a specific protocol, ensuring anonymity.
What Are Onion Links Sites?
Onion links sites refer to websites that are accessible only through the Tor network. The name “onion” comes from the layers of encryption used to anonymize traffic, resembling the layers of an onion. These sites often have a .onion domain, which cannot be visited using standard web browsers.
How Do Onion Links Sites Work?
The functionality of onion links sites hinges on the Tor network, which facilitates private browsing by routing internet traffic through multiple servers. This process accomplishes:
- Anonymity: Users can browse the internet without revealing their identity.
- Access to Restricted Content: Some sites available on the normal web may be blocked in certain regions.
- Enhanced Privacy: Encryption ensures that user data cannot be easily intercepted.
Common Uses of Onion Links Sites
While some may associate onion links sites with illegal activities, they serve various legitimate purposes, including:
- Their 2016 reporting on sexual abuse won the Pulitzer Prize that year.
- The dark web is simply not designed to be organized and indexed in an orderly fashion.
- When users access a site through Tor, their information is routed through thousands of relay points that cover the user’s tracks and make their browsing virtually impossible to trace.
- To stay safe while looking for .onion sites, always use a VPN with powerful security features like military-grade encryption, a kill switch, and leak protection (at a minimum).
- Instead of having a top level domain like .com, .edu, or .org, dark web sites often end in .onion.
- Whistleblowing Platforms: Encrypted communication channels for whistleblowers to share information securely.
- Privacy-Focused Blogs: Websites where users share sensitive information without fear of reprisal.
- Anonymized Marketplaces: Some sites operate as marketplaces offering goods and services, often with a focus on privacy.
Luxuries and Risks of Using Onion Links Sites
Using onion links sites comes with both benefits and challenges:
- Pros:
- High level of privacy and security.
- Access to content that might be censored on the surface web.
- Protection against tracking and surveillance.
- Cons:
- Potential exposure to illegal content.
- Increased risk of scams on marketplaces.
- Slower browsing speeds due to routing through multiple nodes.
How to Access Onion Links Sites
To safely access onion links sites, follow these steps:
- Download and install the Tor Browser from the official Tor Project website.
- Ensure your internet connection is secure and that you have a VPN if additional privacy is desired.
- Open the Tor Browser and enter the onion link of the site you wish to visit.
Frequently Asked Questions about Onion Links Sites
1. Are all onion links sites illegal?
No, while some onion links sites host illegal content, many are used for legitimate purposes, such as privacy advocacy and secure communications.
2. Is using Tor and onion links sites safe?
Using Tor provides a level of anonymity, but users should remain cautious about the risks, including potential exposure to harmful content or scams.
3. How do I find onion links sites?
Finding onion links sites often involves directories or forums dedicated to sharing .onion URLs, but it’s crucial to exercise caution regarding the sites visited.
Conclusion
Onion links sites provide a fascinating insight into the complexities of internet privacy, access, and anonymity. While they come with inherent risks, the ability to browse securely and access censored content attracts users seeking robust online privacy.
