The dark web is not a mysterious underworld. It is a network with different access requirements

Understanding what the dark web is and is not.

Definitions that matter

• **Surface web**: Indexed by search engines, accessible to everyone.
• **Deep web**: Not indexed, requires credentials or has paywalls. Includes medical records, academic databases, corporate intranets.
• **Dark web**: Requires specific software (Tor, I2P) to access. Often associated with anonymity.

Legitimate dark web uses

• Journalism and source protection.
• Whistleblower platforms.
• Privacy-conscious communication.
• Academic research in restricted regions.
• Security research.

Dark web risks

• Illegal content is more common.
• Honeypots and law enforcement operations exist.
• Malware distribution is frequent.
• Exit nodes can be monitored.

Your Tor browser does not make you invisible. It makes you look like everyone else using Tor, which is a different kind of visibility.