Will the dark web be shut down?

What is browsing the dark web like?

The dark web is visually different from the open web. The site design is usually basic, with dark backgrounds being popular. The experience of browsing the dark web is reminiscent of using the Internet in the late 90s. The speed of the Internet is also similar to the dial-up experience of the 90s. The use of Tor can significantly degrade the browsing experience.

Another difference between the Dark Web and the Open Web is the naming structure. Instead of websites on the dark web ending in .com or .co.uk, they end in .onion. This is actually what prevents regular search engines without proper proxies from accessing these sites. Dark sites also use a disturbed naming structure to create URLs that are difficult to remember.

With all the commercial activity on the dark web, you might think that navigating it is easy. It's not. Using Tor and browsing the dark web is an experience that mirrors the dark web itself, unpredictable, unreliable and frustratingly slow. Dead ends, time-out connections and 404 errors are common on the dark web. Searching the dark web is also difficult, and even one of the best search engines, such as Torch or Grams, often provides duplicate or irrelevant results for your query.

The main problem with browsing the dark web is that if you're not looking for illegal content like buying fake passports or illegal drugs, things can quickly get limited. The Dark Web resembles the Open Web of 1995, with unreliable pages such as directories, pet projects, and hobby sites making up most of the live sites and useful search engines, with few and far between results. When everyone's identity is anonymous and many people lie to each other, the Dark Web is as chaotic as you might expect.

Can the dark web be shut down?

The short answer is no.

Many people think the dark web should be shut down, but this shows a degree of ignorance about how the dark web works and why it exists. Shutting down the Dark Web would require shutting down every site and relay at the same time. According to Tor's metrics, this would involve shutting down more than 7,000 secret nodes around the world.

Will the dark web be shut down?

Shutting down the Dark Web is nearly impossible. Coalition governments from different countries could do little to prevent Pirate Bay, the world's largest seed site, from operating openly on the open web, let alone attempt to shut down an entire network of sites with encrypted communications and hidden IP addresses.

One of the biggest obstacles to shutting down the dark web is that not everything that happens on the dark web is illegal. This means that there isn't really any real reason to shut it down. Governments and law enforcement agencies can continue to target illegal services like Silk Road, but many people use the dark web for completely honest reasons and could suffer if it is no longer accessible.

If you decide to access the dark web

If you can tolerate the performance and access issues of using Tor and the unreliability of the dark web, plus the occasional shock, then it's OK to satisfy your curiosity and access the dark web. However, if you decide to visit the Dark Web, browse carefully and do not give out any personal information. Remain completely anonymous and take steps to protect your identity.