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 idea and anyone who said they just stumbled onto it is lying through their arse. Remember your man from a famous band who I won't name and police went to his house and he said he was researching a role for an acting job or something, yeah right, shocking how they cannot just get rid of the dark web and so many innocent children all over the world are being abused all the time and these sick feckers paying for it. The internet is great for so many things but so much is disgusting and kids are viewing porn far too early and many end up having awful views of women and something has to change.

@XenoBitch I am sure that how we word it has no bearing at all at the awful things that kids have been made to do already.

Well no, of course not. It's just more respectful to the victims.

@SevenWaystoLeave the deep web is far, far worse than the dark web. I know this because my brother works in cyber security, but a quick Google will confirm it.

Yes, but I'm an IT consultant.

kids are viewing porn far too early

This is down to parents rather than any authority.

Parents need to take personal responsibility for what their kids are doing online.

Supervise them using the Internet and use parentsl controls. It isn't down to the government to keep your kids safe, that is your job.

[quote VampireMoney]@SevenWaystoLeave the deep web is far, far worse than the dark web. I know this because my brother works in cyber security, but a quick Google will confirm it. [/quote]
Possibly you've got 'deep web' and 'dark web' mixed up? I'm afraid @SevenWaystoLeave is correct (having just had a quick Google...)

Realised that sounds like I have some kind of a problem with @SevenWaystoLeave... I don't, to be clear.

[quote VampireMoney]@SevenWaystoLeave the deep web is far, far worse than the dark web. I know this because my brother works in cyber security, but a quick Google will confirm it. [/quote]
I think you've got your terminology mixed up. The deep web is just any part of the www that doesn't get crawled by search engines - this includes tons of innocuous stuff including anything behind a private log-in. Your mumsnet profile is technically part of the deep web. It is not anything fundamentally sinister at all. If you want to do that quick google yourself, you'll see. Or I'll save you the trouble, here you go: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Deep_web

The dark web is the place where the sinister stuff is and that you need a special browser to access. The deep web is just the non-surface parts of the normal web.

Yes and I'll tell you now you don't just stumble across stuff like that on the dark web. You have to search extensively. I use it for work and have never stumbled across anything like that.

Yeah the deep web is just boring stuff like passwords and banking details etc

I've been on the Dark Web. I had a browse of the Silk Road, it was amazing to see so many drugs for sale.

@oioimatey I just need to go on Snapchat to see the drugs for sale in my area.

Yes because I have worked in IT since the early 90's, and use the framework for tunneling data to places that need it.

As others have said the deep web is essentially just stuff that isn't indexed, the dark web can be a 'scary' place if one can navigate the many honeypots from the alphabet agencies, the person getting caught now isn't using the dark web as it has been freely available via private vpn's and chats. Sites like Tumblr was rife for indecent images before they had to clean up for the IPO, it was mainly used by children with no accountablitiy from parents and basic bypass measures,
TikTok is a rife and Twitter/Insta refuse to bring stuff down.

As for stumbling across stuff in error, it is very hard to do on a mass scale that most are being caught for, however it is a recognised tactic in Cyber sec from some angles of flooding message groups with indecent images of children in order to try and close groups, a recent one was to flood some of the Canadian truckers protests etc.

Yes. But I wouldn't. Ever.

[quote VampireMoney]@SevenWaystoLeave the deep web is far, far worse than the dark web. I know this because my brother works in cyber security, but a quick Google will confirm it. [/quote]
Why, what have you got hiding in your email account? That's part of the deep web and you're probably glad about it - you wouldn't want all your emails to be available via a Google search.

Also, there is a difference between knowing how to access the dark web, and actually being able to navigate it and not just 'know' because they have read a few articles and know about TOR and onion links.

It is full of honey pots, viruses and flooded with world wide alphabet agencies, it really isn't a simple task to 'stumble' across stuff like is trying to be insinuated on here.

The fact no one has mentioned of the need to set up a sand box enviroment before you even look at TOR shows they have just based it on knowing nothing more than headlines and think its an easy download and run situation, hence why a lot of these people are being caught by the honeypots.

The fact no one has mentioned of the need to set up a sand box environment before you even look at TOR

ahem

I mentioned evaporating VMs upthread

Yep. My boyfriend showed me a few weeks ago because I was curious about it. He works in IT as an ethical hacker so it's something that he knows about. He showed me how you can find all sorts of stuff, even how you can order drugs online. It was an eye opener.

I’m another who has no idea how to access anything like that, I hope I don’t know anyone who does.

It astounds me that some people seem to believe that you can stumble across disturbing things like images of child sexual abuse by accident.

@CthulhuInDisguise

Yep. My boyfriend showed me a few weeks ago because I was curious about it. He works in IT as an ethical hacker so it's something that he knows about. He showed me how you can find all sorts of stuff, even how you can order drugs online. It was an eye opener.

The "marketplace" websites really are something else. Very slick and professional, with user reviews and ratings of products and vendors. Rather like Amazon, except the products are drugs, stolen IDs, credit card details and weapons, and the currency is crypto only!

I wouldn't want to know

I mentioned evaporating VMs upthread

Evaporating VM's is dangerous unless you want the internet to become a corporate media place, and evaporating VM's is not an understanding of sandboxes and accessing the dark web.

The "marketplace" websites really are something else. Very slick and professional, with user reviews and ratings of products and vendors. Rather like Amazon, except the products are drugs, stolen IDs, credit card details and weapons, and the currency is crypto only!

It's even funnier when you realise that kilos of drugs, stolen ID's and credit card details are available on insta/tiktok/tumblr if you are in the know.

These anecdotals of how easy it is are comical at this point and isn't a serious discussion, it's ironic that they seem to come from someones DH...

@Chakraleaf

I wouldn't want to know

Maybe don't read threads clearly labeled as being about the darkweb then? 🤨

@WhenDovesFly

I've no idea how to access it, but am I the only one who stupidly imagines that the 'dark web' is like a negative of the ordinary web, ie, all black pages with white or other coloured writing on them haha!

Thats exactly what i imagine!