Out of reach of search engines and browsers

Thanks to a certain online drug marketplace called “Silk Road,” you may have come to realize that there is another version of the Internet. One that cannot be accessed through a regular browser or indexed by a regular search engine.

This is called the Dark Web, not to be confused with the Deep Web. These are websites that are normally inaccessible due to paywalls or password-protected login pages (such as online banking).

The Dark Web has some legitimate valid uses, such as protecting the freedom of speech of dissidents and activists in countries governed by oppressive regimes (such as China). But the Dark Web has been called the “dark underbelly of the web.” Much of it consists of drugs, pornography, gambling, hitmen, and various other criminal enterprises.