Difference Between the Deep Web and the Dark Web

Difference Between the Deep Web and the Dark Web

The Deep Web, which comprises Internet information that is not searchable by normal search engines, is just 0.01 percent of the Dark Web. In other words, if Google cannot locate what you’re searching for, it’s most likely still on the World Wide Web, but in the more difficult-to-access Deep Web.

In popular discourse, the Deep Web and the Dark Web have been mixed together. The majority of people are unaware that the Deep Web comprises generally innocuous sites such as your password-protected email account, some aspects of premium subscription services like Netflix, and sites that can only be accessed via an online form.

In addition, the Deep Web is enormous: it was predicted to be 400–550 times larger than the Surface Web in 2001, and it has continued to grow at an exponential rate since then.

By comparison, the Dark Web is rather small: there are only tens of thousands of Dark Web sites. The Dark Web’s websites are distinguished by the use of encryption software that conceals the identities of its users and their locations.

That is why the Dark Web is so popular for illicit activity: users can hide their identities, illegal website owners may disguise their locations, and data can be exchanged anonymously. As a result, the Dark Web is rife with illegal drug and weapon sales, as well as pornography and gambling. The FBI took down Silk Road, a major online illicit market, in 2013.

However, the Dark Web is not entirely dark. It’s also utilized by political whistleblowers, activists, and journalists who can face censorship or political reprisal if their government finds out about them. The website Wikileaks, for example, has a presence on the Dark Web.

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