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?

Many moons ago I decided to incubate eggs from my birds. Two were born unwell so I thought aha Google. I typed in "sick chicks" porn cascaded at speed across my screen I couldn't exit. I shut off the laptop my heart going like the clappers. Phoned my IT guy who after laughing took it away and fixed it

I wouldn't go looking for anything out of curiousity.

Through TOR I think you could access the dark Web, but why would you? Unless you're a criminal, or extremely paranoid about being tracked or traced.

I certainly wouldn't use it.

BTW if you watch Jane Doe, it's a documentary about trafficked children and their parents fight to have their images removed from places like backpage/Craigslist - I don't believe these places are there anymore, but I've taken it as a scary insight of how much dodgy shit is actually flying around on the general Internet. I don't believe any paedophile excuse that things just end up on their computers, but I do think there is a lot more terrible shit around than we as women, and parents want to believe.

@NoFriendsNoEnemies - I have no interest in searching out the DW. Any particular reason why you’ve asked this and not yet been back to see the responses?

It has it's usefulness for privacy concerns people living in China, Russia, secret service agencies.
Like everything the good can't exist in peace.

I wouldn't want to, I understand the dark web is used by terrorist organisations and various criminal activities and the whole idea of it scares me.

However had such things existed when I was a young person, say 18-19 or even younger, I might have been curious and drawn to it; I can imagine a morbid fascination mingled with fear, eventually succumbing to temptation and giving it a go, just to see what it was like (after which not being able to sleep for weeks).

How to access the dark web I do not know but think googling 'dark web' might bring up some links. I don't intend to try, at over 70 I want to sleep peacefully in my bed at night, but if anyone else tries it please come back and tell us, without too much detail :).

@SilverHairedCat

Yes and it's a piece of piss. Google it.

You don't just "stumble across" scary things. For all intents and purposes, TOR is just a browser - it's a bit like putting your Chrome Browser into "incognito mode" so your cookies aren't stored and linked to your Google account.

What you can then access is just about anything you can get on Chrome. Note that the BBC News and their whole website is available on the Dark Web so Russians who want to see it can use it, despite it being blocked in Russia.

Yes, you can access indecent images of children using it, but you can also do that in 3 clicks on Google search (I don't recommend you look).

The only real difference between using the Dark Web and Firefox / Chrome / Safari etc is about how cookies and your identity can be tracked.

Opening TOR doesn't suddenly give you access to a shopping centre full of firearms, drugs, children or donkeys any more than opening Chrome.

You still have to go looking for it.

Thank you!!! This drives me mad on Mumsnet threads about ‘the dark web’. People always talk about it like it’s an actual place and, if you visit it, you’ll just stumble across child porn, firearms and drugs - like some sick and twisted version of the middle aisle of Lidl.

What also makes me laugh is the number of people who think it’s an entirely separate second internet. I always picture Jen from The IT Crowd.

@Chakraleaf

I wouldn't want to know

I can understand not wanting to access it (if you don't fully understand it, that is) but not even wanting to know? Do you think the knowledge alone will turn you evil

Nope, my ineptitude at ICT is legendary. I struggle with simple things on computer.

Tor browser

I can understand not wanting to access it (if you don't fully understand it, that is) but not even wanting to know? Do you think the knowledge alone will turn you evil

I do love the competitive performative ignorance on this thread!

Once they've established that they don't know, they don't want to know, no one they know wants to know, they've never met anyone who knows anyone who wants to know, and they would never talk to anyone who knows anyone who's spoken to anyone who knows how to know I'm not sure where they'll go next

(Although they still like to read threads about it!)

I'm getting on a bit in years but I still believe it's my responsibility to be informed as much as possible about the world we live in.
Not one of us here knows what is around the corner for our own children/ siblings/ Grandchildren. Surely it's better to have a working knowledge of what happens online than to plead ignorance?
Some of the responses have smacked a bit of 'But I'm a laaaady'

Yes. Not difficult at all

@OpheliaThrupps

Once they've established that they don't know, they don't want to know, no one they know wants to know, they've never met anyone who knows anyone who wants to know, and they would never talk to anyone who knows anyone who's spoken to anyone who knows how to know I'm not sure where they'll go next grin

The next logical step would be to hire a hitman to pick off us degenerates one by one. Now, where might one look to hire a hitman...

@WomanStanleyWoman

What also makes me laugh is the number of people who think it’s an entirely separate second internet. I always picture Jen from The IT Crowd.

Never mind the dark web . Just don’t type Google into Google. You will break the internet. 🤣🤣🤣

Well it depends on what you want. It's not a specific place but a series of different places. I know how to find certain things but not others (I don't buy them I just know where they are and you'd need to use a VPN or TOR to use them/stay anonymous).

No idea where anything horrid like sex trafficking/illegal images/guns/organ theft etc are. I'd imagine that's more of something you need to be introduced to by another person in your creepy CSA group or trafficking ring.

One thing I don't understand (because I'm not remotely techie) is how certain websites, like Silk Road, are invisible to normal search engines. Anyone who can explain that in terms I can understand?

I'm getting on a bit in years but I still believe it's my responsibility to be informed as much as possible about the world we live in.

That's probably just you then

@JesusInTheCabbageVan

One thing I don't understand (because I'm not remotely techie) is how certain websites, like Silk Road, are invisible to normal search engines. Anyone who can explain that in terms I can understand?

Googles webcrawler can only go places you can. If you put content behind a login page, then Google can't see it.

In theory there is a file you can put on your website "robots.txt"

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robots_exclusion_standard

Googles webcrawler can only go places you can. If you put content behind a login page, then Google can't see it.

In theory there is a file you can put on your website "robots.txt"

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robots_exclusion_standard

I think there's more to it than that though. Even if you know the address, so you don't need to use a search engine, you can't get to "onion" sites from an ordinary browser.

Eg this is the catchy URL address for The Hub, a discussion forum on the dark web:
thehubojcm5xduv2yvoc4tmn5jf4e2hssnlxu66uuknus3jutim7g7ad.onion/
It works from within the TOR browser, but unless you're accessing Mumsnet via TOR it won't work if you click on it now.

PS Should have issued a trigger warning to the nice ladies, who will all being having an attack of the vapours at this brush with death

Yep, I run my wired connections at home through an onion router and run a private journal on the ‘dark web’. It’s very easy to set up and access and isn’t just used by criminals and privacy nuts.

But yes, you need to set up the right infrastructure to access it so you can’t just stumble across it.

I didn’t even know it was real!

No

Aside from switch the lights off, I’ve no idea.