The Difference Between the Darknet and the Deep Web
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Drugs, death, and debauchery—those are what probably come to mind when you hear about the darknet . Or is it the deep web? Or both?
You may find yourself confusing these two terms, believing that the darknet and the deep web are the same place where people flock for reasons including illegal and/or generally questionable activities. However, while the darknet is part of the deep web, the deep web is not actually a part of the deep web.
The “regular internet” is a surface network
I need to start this explanation with a completely different term: the internet as most of us know it is called the “surface web.” (You may also have heard it called the open web or the visible web.) Essentially, it’s the set of websites indexed by search engines. If it appears in Google search results, it’s part of the surface web.
For example, this article is part of the surface internet; the CNET homepage is part of the surface internet; the Facebook login screen is also part of the surface internet. Most of the internet you know probably fits this definition.
With the “deep web” or “darknet,” things are different. You can’t open Chrome and expect to find darknet pages through Google search. To access the deep web, you’ll have to visit each site individually, and for the darknet, you’ll need a dedicated browser.
What is the deep web?
The deep web, also known as the “hidden” web, is a collection of websites not indexed by search engines. Most of these sites are hidden behind login pages and can include banking and email pages, as well as paid content like streaming services. Sure, you’ll find Netflix through a Google search, but you won’t find the player for Love Is Blind Season 9, Episode 1 until you log in.
The deep web also consists of protocol pages responsible for authenticating user accounts when logging into a website, processing payments when making purchases, and other processes you never need. In short, it’s both the foundation of the internet and the part of the internet you regularly interact with. And it makes up the majority of the internet: according to CrowdStrike, the deep web accounts for over 90% of all online content . Deep web pages aren’t indexed, but they often have URLs that can be linked directly and are accessible from traditional web browsers like Chrome or Firefox.
In your daily online life, you frequently switch between the surface internet and the deep web, likely without even realizing it. When you open your bank’s website, that’s the surface internet. When you log into your account, your balance and investments are stored on the deep web. When you open a YouTube video, that’s the surface internet. If you open your YouTube account settings page, that’s the deep web. You encounter these difficulties all the time, but fear not: your frequent activity on the deep web never puts you at risk of accessing the dark web .
What is the darknet?
The darknet is a subsection (and a small one at that) of the deep web. Unlike the latter, however, the darknet cannot be accessed through a regular browser like Chrome or Firefox. This is not only because it is hidden behind login pages or hidden URLs; the darknet uses encryption and routing to disguise its sites, as well as proxy servers to process requests and traffic without any centralized regulation. It’s still the deep web, just not a part you stumble upon by accident.
How to access the dark web
If you want to access the darknet, you’ll need special tools. To get started, you’ll need a dedicated browser, such as Tor . Just as you use Chrome to access public websites like Facebook or Lifehacker, you use a darknet browser to access darknet pages. You’ll also often know in advance which darknet site you want to visit; their domains often end in .onion rather than .com. While the darknet has its own search engines , such as Ahmia, Torch, and even a special version of DuckDuckGo, they’re not as reliable as your typical search engines.
Because accessing these sites requires special protocols, traffic is often private and anonymous. This is what makes the darknet an attractive location for illegal activity—site activity is not easily traced back to individual user accounts. Cryptocurrencies such as Bitcoin are a common means of payment on the darknet because they also protect your privacy during transactions.
The darknet isn’t just about illegal things.
When you think of the “dark web,” you probably imagine an underground, secret network of websites thriving with illegal activity, where drugs, contraband, and illegal media are traded with reckless abandon. You might also hear about data leaks that end up on the dark web, where attackers pay for your passwords, hacked accounts, and credit card information. Such sites certainly exist, but they are only part of the so-called dark web, which is more than just a haven for perverts and criminals.
While many common darknet uses may be illegal, anyone wishing to maintain anonymity online can take advantage of these networks. Common examples of “useful” darknet resources include whistleblowers seeking a place to leak information without the governments and organizations responsible for it knowing who they are, as well as legitimate news and information sites for citizens of countries with strict censorship laws. According to one 2020 study , 57% of the darknet contains illegal content . If true, that’s a significant amount, but it also means the remaining 43% is legal.
In short, the deep web isn’t a scary place. The darknet can be, but not always.