The dark web

[Humpfour]

I'm 39 years old and today have just learnt from DBIL that there's such a thing as the 'Dark web'

I feel as though I've been living under a rock! Has anyone ever been on there before? Can you really hire a hitman and things or is DBIL exaggerating?

[Snog]

Try watching Mr Robot

[Pipandmum]

It exists but I'd never go on it (or know how to). But if you can imagine it someone is doing it, and selling it.

[Ebonyandivory2]

I’ve been on it before out of curiosity . Strange place. A Lot of people use it to sell drugs. I promptly left as there were some seriously dodgy things on there.

[Topazance]

Have heard of it but wouldn't have a clue how to go on there and don't think I'd want to. From what little I know it's where criminals mingle and worse so I'd say he's prob right. Interested to see what other posters know about it.

[ShannonShouts]

It exists and is as bad as your brother has said. But I’ve never been on it, wouldn’t know how to

[ch3rrycola]

Have heard of it but wouldn't have a clue how to access it nor would I want to

[Topazance]

Ebony not that I actually want to know how but how did you know the way to get onto it? (without directly saying how iyswim!)

[LittleDidSheKnow]

I’ve been reading about it recently.
It is, apparently, easy enough to get onto the dark web if you download the appropriate browser. “Tor” is a well known one.

Everything is very encrypted, so it is all anonymous and users can’t be traced. Tor browser itself is not “bad” or illegal, but it can be used to host websites dealing in dodgy stuff.
You can read (or listen to a podcast - Casefile have a good one) about The Silk Road which was a site selling drugs online. It’s very interesting and quite scary. The site owner was eventually tracked down and given 3 life sentences or something.

[Emeraldshamrock]

It exists. I don't think you can stumble into it you need devices etc.
Wouldn't be sure as I'll never visit it though some use it for banking etc for extra browsing security.

[BinkyBaa]

It exists, it's basically computers passing information directly to each other without using the services that host regular websites. 99% of it is just for buying and selling drugs.

[aLilNonnyMouse]

Getting on it isn't some big secret. You just download a program called TOR. Works just like any other browser.

It's mostly used for selling drugs. There are sites that claim to be hitmen for hire but it's well known that most of them are fake. There are child abusers using the dark web to operate in secret though. It's not a nice place. I've stumbled around there a couple of times due to curiosity and didn't see anything too horrific - but then I wasn't really looking for anything.

[MaudebeGonne]

Be careful you don't stumble into Dark Mumsnet. That really is a nest if vipers

[FuckoffAlexa]

There's an instruction manual on how to access it on Reddit.

[BinkyBaa]

Whoops on getting on the 'it exists' train, just read back and saw I'm the 4th person to start a comment with that.

[LittleDidSheKnow]

The Tor Website:

www.torproject.org/

It claims to be about freedom and privacy, avoidance of censorship and surveillance. Don’t worry, website is safe,

[cherryblossomgin]

I've heard of it. You can buy literally anything. If you can think of it you can find it. It's also used by human traffickers. if you go on it people usually track your info. There are alot of hackers that use it as a back door. I have never been on it and don't plan to but I find it interesting. There is an interesting documentary about the Silk Road, it was a site used to sell drugs and other things.

[Humpfour]

It seems so creepy! I've got tingles like I do when I hear ghost stories.

I'm really intrigued, not to go on it myself, but I do love a bit of woo.

I had no idea such things existed. I think I've lived a very sheltered life

[Humpfour]

It's also used by human traffickers Oh. that's awful. Not really the same as ghost stories now and more just very very sad.

[Spacebowlisback]

Hmm. My husband once downloaded Tor and said it was because of ads etc. Do I need to be worried? Is there a legit reason for downloading it? (Think he also deleted it because it was more complicated to use or something)

[Branster]

It’s true and it’s been going for quite a while. It’s easy enough to get in but I would never try. Apart from dodgy dealings and nasty stuff, lots of people use it to hide themselves from Big Brother to do their legit online activities in a safer environment without being tracked or spied on by ... the government I guess.
There are some interesting podcasts about this topic.

[GunpowderGelatine]

Yeo you can do all manner of sordid things include hiring a hitman.

I read somewhere that the vast majority of dark web traffic is people accessing and exchanging indecent images of children

[steff13]

I have a friend who says he knows how to access it (he's a certified ethical hacker, so I believe him). He won't tell me, though.

[SanFranBear]

I use it occasionally although not for nefarious purchases. It's really just another way of surfing the web but without being traced (although you can use bookmarks, the browser won't list where you've been, or autocomplete a search history like on Google). You can look at Mumsnet through Tor

There is obviously a very dark side but the urls for those sites are such that the chances of stumbling over them are incredibly rare. The most common start with 'onion' and then a random string of numbers, letters and symbols so you will need someone in the know to find them.

If you read the third (or maybe fourth) Girl with a Dragon Tattoo, there's a great bit where she accesses the dark web - for actual nefariousness - and the way she does it is to click on specific pixels in a specific image on a specific onion site.

So yes, you could probably find a hitman on there but you'd need to find someone in the know first.

[MongerTruffle]

Is there a legit reason for downloading it?

Privacy, mainly. It's not inherently bad, but it can be used to do illegal things.