The Deep Web, and Why It’s Not as Scary as You Think

Ever since the internet has become a part of humanity, a particular urban legend has thrived. Rumors about a virtual space far greater than the internet we know, containing the darkest and scariest of human activities, one which ensures anyone who enters it is never the same again. Yes, we’re talking about the Deep Web, often wrongly referred to as the Dark Web.

So, what is it? In the words of an average internet user, it’s where 90% of the internet functions, where dangerous activities such as trafficking, illegal substance trade, or harmful content thrive. And as expected from average internet users, this is far from accurate. The Deep Web is simply a term used to refer to web pages that remain unindexed by conventional search engines. Anything you cannot find in a Google Search (or a Bing search if you’re desperate). Common search algorithms such as crawlers cannot find these. Everything from your Amazon shopping cart to the list of missed assignments on your college page, both of which require a level of authentication, lies here. Research papers, internet banking links, Hidden Wiki, all of them.

The Deep Web is also a space where users can maintain a level of anonymity you can never attain on the Surface Web. This is possible thanks to the relatively lower level of surveillance by ISPs or search engines. There exist browsers and services allowing you to access most of it. Combine this with something sneaky like a VPN, and you get near-perfect anonymity. Groups such as protesters, conspiracy theorists, investigative journalists, and overly dedicated RuneScape players (just kidding) inhabit this space regularly.

However, it would be a lie to say it is entirely peaceful. Sure, most of it is innocuous, but there will always be people who take advantage of being untraceable. Scammers, drug traders, and information smugglers are common but still heavily monitored by authorities. This part of the Deep Web, composed of networks with too many dangerous activities, is known as the Dark Web. However, this reputation and related misinformation have unfortunately caused Deep and Dark to be used interchangeably in this context.

Hollywood tropes and YouTube clickbait have led to the belief that the Deep Web is the overarching adversary of the internet under which all the bad guys thrive, often exaggerating the level of horror way beyond the truth. Though this is still accurate on some levels, it is surprising that sites and pages just as disturbing are easily found even on the surface web. There are forum pages and imageboards filled with things you could consider dangerous (I’m looking at you, Reddit), where most “scary dark web” videos on YouTube get their content.

Surprisingly, the Deep Web is not very difficult to access. The Tor (short for The Onion Router) network, usable via the Tor Browser, is an example of a simple deep web network. It relays your queries through a concealed network of relays, encrypting it and allowing for anonymous surfing of sites inaccessible via conventional browsers, often called onion sites. Your ISP or any surveillance protocols cannot read these queries.

Using these means you can easily access the Deep Web at home. However, there is still risk associated, since a lack of surveillance means an abundance of attackers and malware. Using a virtual machine, for this reason, is the usual practice. Although, as a disclaimer, we have to tell you that accessing the illegal web pages or services found here can still lead you to a lot of trouble with federal authorities.

Misinformation about the Deep Web is often more notorious than what it is. But in this age where the internet is a cog in keeping our world running, it is vital as responsible users to know what you are accessing and what you are not, and be aware of all possible dangers of the web, surface or deep.

-Jibran V