Would you know how to access the dark web?

[NoFriendsNoEnemies]

Just that.

Whenever someone appears to be convicted of child abuse, accessing violent porn etc they always seem to trot out the cliche that they came across the images by mistake or that they were downloaded to them when they were downloading something else.

And for some obscure reason they always have their band of loyal supporters who believe them.

But quite apart from the fact that it’s obviously lies, I was always under the impression that to access that kind of material you had to visit the dark web, and so accessing that kind of thing in error is in fact not possible.

But how many people would actually know how to access the dark web? And if they wouldn’t how could anyone believe that these kinds of things could be stumbled upon in error?

Would you know how to access the dark web? Not for nefarious purposes obviously, but just in general. If you wanted to access it, would you know how?

No

Not a clue. Tbh other than googling 'dark web' I'd have no idea where to even start 😂

No idea from me

I know you have to download a different search engine or browser or system or something.
But in order to find it, it must itself be on the normal web, surely? So it can't be that hard.

I don't really want to Google "download the dark web" so I'm just guessing

I've never accessed the dark web, I would know what to download in order to do it but I have an IT background. I wouldn't expect an average person to know where to start.

No, I wouldn't have a clue!

But is it definitely correct that you'd have to be on the dark web to access this type of stuff? I had the impression that there is a lot of unregulated porn available on the normal internet?

Don't know and don't want to know.

Yes. Download the TOR browser. You have to know the url of website though as the point is that it's unsearchable.

Lots of people use TOR for legitimate reasons btw (journalists, people living in totalitarian regimes, people who don't like the principle of being traced).

Yes. Not difficult.

No. I'm dimly aware of things like Tor and what the dark web actually is, because of high-profile cases like Josh Duggar, but only dimly aware.

DH is a software developer so he would know a lot more than me, but I think even he would have to look into it a bit more before he could actually do it.

Yes, because there are perfectly legitimate reasons for using the applications that facilitate it.

I know because I looked into it for a short story I wrote.

You need to download the Tor browser in order to access the “dark web”, so AFAIK you can’t just stumble across it with a quick Google 🤣

I don’t have it and have no interest in it, but I do know you do actually actively have to download software and intend to access it! I knew a distant former colleague who was convicted for accessing and storing child abuse images, and apparently he told some of his friends he’d accidentally stumbled across it, boo hoo, poor him etc., and a fair number of them actually believed him. When the trial happened it turned out he’d been on rings on the dark web for years. Stumbled across it accidentally, my arse!

You dont just come across the dark web accidently, you have to have a certain browser/search engine installed on to your computer/laptop

@OrlandointheWilderness

Not a clue. Tbh other than googling 'dark web' I'd have no idea where to even start 😂

This is what I'd do 😂

I know I’d have to download Tor but wouldn’t have a clue what to do with it once I had it. I know you need to know where you want to go but I don’t fancy searching out communities on the web to give me a starting point.

I do think that sometimes there is something in the argument that people didn’t know what they were downloading. I remember Kazaa and the like and soooo many files were porn (thankfully none that I came across) named as something else. It’s not a good excuse though, if someone accidentally comes across abuse images the correct thing to do is to report them immediately.

Not a clue and nor do I want to know. However I do have an awareness from the interviews with Josh Duggar.

I think you have to go through a browser called Tor - but how you get Tor, I wouldn't know.

Tor/the dark web do have legitimate uses too - for journalists, people living under oppressive regimes etc - so I suppose somebody using the dark web for non-nefarious purposes might possibly stumble across illegal content accidentally, but I think it would be obvious to investigators if this were the case.

Don't know and don't want to know.

No and i wouldn't want to either

I meant to say - thankfully none of the Kazaa files I came across were abuse images. Came across plenty of porn!

So I think that's two issues. People can upload illegal stuff to normal web bit its easier to find out who has accessed it. So some people will search those thing on the normal internet.

The dark web, I dont know how to access it but assume it's not that hard to find out.

But agree you cant accidentally access the dark web.

No, aware like a PP of TOR from the Josh Duggar case. But I’d have to google “how to access the dark web” and I think that probably defeats the object!

Though as pp say there is plenty of violent porn on the non-dark web, and content with dubious legality if you go actively looking for it.

Also you don't only find IIOC on the dark web. Often what happens is abusers hook up with each other through ordinary chat rooms and then share.