It is a seething matrix of encrypted websites that even the police themselves have trouble accessing

PHOTO: DEEP WEB

Many may think that the internet is a huge resource of information. However, what most see on commonly used browsers such as Google and Yahoo is just a small part of a massive network of underground websites and unseen content.

The remaining labyrinth of underground networks forms what is known as the Deep Web.

What is the Deep Web?

The term “Deep Web” was first coined by Bright Planet in a 2001 white paper entitled ‘The Deep Web: Surfacing Hidden Value’.

Behind the surface web, which is accessible to anyone using the internet such as Internet Explorer or Google Chrome, lies the Deep Web. The Deep Web are parts of the World Wide Web whose contents are not indexed by standard search engines for any reason – which allow users to surf beneath the everyday internet with complete anonymity.

PHOTO: Deep Web

It is not known exactly how large the Deep Web is. However, another study done by Bright Planet revealed that the estimated size of the Deep Web is 400 to 500 times larger than that of the surface web. Only 0.03% web pages were actually being indexed by a traditional search engine such as Google or Yahoo.

What lies in the Deep Web

The Deep Web has a strong appeal to privacy advocates who have taken advantage of the lack of tracking to shield their anonymity.

However, the secretive nature of the network has also made it a haven for illicit activities – hiring a hitman, trafficking illegal drugs, stolen credit cards, child pornography and even nuclear weapons.

Transactions done on the Deep Web have been made easier with the use of Bitcoin, a cryptocurrency that allow users to buy merchandise almost instantaneously and anonymously. This has spurred some users of the currency to engage in criminal activity.

Infamous examples include the Silk Road which dominated headlines in 2013 after authorities succeeded in shutting it down. The site had a reputation as the internet’s go-to destination for recreational drug sales, with thousands of listings for heroin, cocaine and methamphetamines.

Accessing the Deep Web

Information on the Deep Web cannot be accessed directly. This is because data is not held on any single page, but rather in databases, which makes it difficult for search engines to index.

In order to access the Deep Web, one needs to use a special browser. The most commonly used browser is The Onion Router (TOR). Other alternatives include I2P and Freenet.

Using these browsers are legal. People operating within closed, totalitarian societies such as the military, police and whistleblowers use such dedicated browsers to maintain their privacy online.

Unfortunately, it is also a popular nesting ground for criminal and illegal activity. While it is legal to access the Deep Web with a dedicated or anonymous browser, it can be illegal to visit some websites on the Deep Web.

Lead technology writer and book critic for Time Magazine, Lev Grossman, mentioned in an interview that it is difficult to strike a balance between privacy and accountability.

“Technologies like Tor are also subject to abuse. And as it turns out, owing to various basic flaws in human nature, when people enter a situation where they can do things and not be held accountable for them, they tend to do some very bad things indeed”
– LEAD TECHNOLOGY WRITER FOR TIME MAGAZINE, LEV GROSSMAN

Accessing the Deep Web using a TOR browser does not guarantee that one is safe and fully anonymous. Apparently, TOR users can often hack other TOR users to find out more about them.

There may be a wealth of information out there on the Deep Web but one should be careful about what to look for. Just like Alice – the deeper one goes down the rabbit hole, the more trouble they may find.