The website is available on the surface web and has a .onion site. This means you can visit the site anonymously using the Onion browser, especially if you live under an oppressive regime. ProPublica is a popular online publication that won five Pulitzers in 2016.
Can You Access The Dark Web With A VPN?
It is specifically designed to make hidden services on the Tor network more accessible. It offers a clean, user-friendly interface that simplifies the process of searching for hidden services. Deep Search is an open-source dark web search engine designed to index and explore onion space, the hidden services within the Tor network.
Accidental leaks at the Tor entry nodes can potentially expose your IP address. If you are in a position to report the incident safely, you should report it to the authorities immediately. It’s recommended not to be too vigilant here and leave the investigation to the professionals. If the above average Joe’s explanation isn’t enough for you, below are some legitimate reasons to use the Dark Web in a bit more detail.
Ahmia — Another Tor Search Engine
Though no one should bat an eye just because you’re attempting to access the dark web, keep in mind that in some countries, like the United States, even a simple foray can get you in trouble. By using Tor, and especially in combination with a VPN, your internet signal is encrypted, making it invisible to your ISP. If you’ve ever checked your medical results online through a portal that required a login, you were navigating the deep web. It’s huge, making up about 90% of the internet, but it’s mostly mundane, hidden behind login screens for privacy and security. Safe porn sites include PornHub, XTube and XHamster if you’re looking for general clips.
The Best Tor And Onion Links

Data like this can also help estimate how many people actively access the dark web and how many hidden websites truly exist—you can even tell where the users are accessing from. But other dark web sites exist to help users find and distribute this kind of material. The Hidden Wiki is a popular directory listing useful .onion websites and dark web search engines. You can access onion sites only through the Tor browser or special network configurations. On the Tor network, the onion domain name reflects the fact that, like the layers of an onion, the Tor browser consists of layers of protection.

BBC News In Your Language
The BBC’s .onion link provides secure access to its global news platform, enabling users to read BBC content anonymously, even in countries where the BBC is banned. The site is a simplified version of the BBC website, offering key sections such as news, culture, and global events. The BBC remains one of the most visited news platforms worldwide, with over 438 million users each week accessing its content across various channels. The Tor Onion Browser is essential for accessing the dark web, designed for user anonymity.
DuckDuckGo
Onion sites are considered part of the deep web because search engines like Google and Bing can’t index them. The dark web also helps individuals communicate about or sell illegal items such as weapons, drugs, malware, etc. Many people see hacked information and stolen card data being sold on the dark web.
ZeroBin — The Secure Way To Share Your Pastes
Like other email clients on the dark web, it does not require you to give your personal information. It is a Swiss-based company (privacy-friendly country), and all its tools are open-source, meaning anyone can test its vulnerabilities. Onion sites are far safer to use as they are hidden deep within the deep web.


The spy agency is hoping to securely and anonymously collect tips, though its entire website, including job listings, are available on the onion service. Policing involves targeting specific activities of the private web deemed illegal or subject to internet censorship. Dark web browsers and search engines do a lot of work to mask user identities, but you’re never completely untraceable. Not to mention that anonymity safeguards won’t protect you from other threats like hacking and malware. Encrypted communication channels on the dark web allow users to message back and forth in an anonymous online environment.

To look at it in a different way, it makes up between 90% and 95% of the internet. A favorite of journalists and their anonymous sources, SecureDrop makes it easy to share confidential information without revealing your identity. Many news publications, like the ones listed above, have a SecureDrop on their .onion sites.
You can archive any site you want, or retrieve historical records wherever available. It will route your traffic through multiple servers instead of one, making tracking your data and activities even harder. NordVPN is one of the best VPNs to combine with the Tor browser whenever you want to surf dark sites. It offers top-of-the-line security and fast speeds for a smooth browsing experience on the dark web.
- While you’re at it, now might be a good time to check whether any of your personal information has been leaked on the dark web.
- Here, you’ll find links to various resources, including educational archives, private forums, anonymous services, and more.
- You can archive any site you want, or retrieve historical records wherever available.
- We highly recommend using a strong VPN like NordVPN to stay safe and private.
- I strongly advise doing your own research to make sure you’re not breaking any local laws by visiting the dark web.
- However, there are plenty of legal and legitimate online activities that require privacy and anonymity.
Silk Road became one of the most famous online black markets on the dark web for illegally selling drugs. You could compare the deep web with our knowledge about the oceans. Although oceans cover more than 70% of our planet, we have only explored 5% of it. That’s only a fraction of what’s out there, which is identical to what’s available to the general public on the surface web. We are reader supported and sometimes earn a commission if you buy through a link on our site. The Justice Department says the arrests are connected to a 10-month investigation between federal law enforcement officials in the U.S. and Europol in Europe.