Accessing ProPublica via the Tor Browser gives users an added layer of privacy and lets them bypass restrictive government censorship. This is especially important for individuals in regions where press freedom is restricted or where government surveillance poses risks to journalists and activists. DuckDuckGo is a reputable US-based software company, so their Tor site itself is safe to use. That said, you still might get malicious links in your search results, so you still need to proceed with caution with any page DuckDuckGo takes you to.
Best Tor Sites Available On The Dark Web – Quick List
In April 2016, its APIs were compromised, resulting in stolen messages. But since its relaunch, the developers are focusing more on operational security and ensuring that users can have a good experience on this site. Below are the best marketplaces on the dark net that we hand-picked after going through multiple shops and doing extensive research. Since the dark web can be accessed through the Tor browser, use a VPN with the Tor browser to ensure increased protection.
Top Trusted Onion Sites In 2025, The Legal, The Useful, And The Infamous
It often hosts copyrighted materials without permission, violating many countries’ copyright laws. Downloading or distributing such material is against the law and can have legal consequences. The dark web raises many questions for businesses and individuals alike. In 2025, state-sponsored actors are expected to continue using the dark web for politically motivated cyberattacks. Countries like Russia, China, and North Korea are suspected of harboring or directly funding these groups.
Can I Access The Dark Web Without A VPN?
- But unless you’re an expert dark web navigator, we advise using extreme caution when using either one.
- It used to be that technological advancements were the main factor that motivated hackers.
- The platform is favored by cybercriminals seeking access to accounts that can be exploited for fraud or sold to others.
- Cybercriminals go on dark web marketplaces to buy and sell illicit goods and services.
- As explored in this article, the top dark web black markets demonstrate the growing sophistication and scale of these underground networks.
All in all, it is not illegal to access the dark web, but it can create issues for you. If you don’t take the necessary measures, many unsavory activities can expose you to unnecessary risks. With rising online privacy concerns in the current digital age, the Tor network’s anonymity is becoming essential. It is a good way to prevent third parties from tracking online activities. People in countries with heavy internet censorship must get a VPN or Tor browser to access the surface web. Lastly, the dark web is the portion of the deep web that is generally inaccessible and is much larger than the surface web.
The website allows a personalized searching experience, where you can search according to your geographical location, country-specific, and keyword or price-specific search results. However, the dark web is so complex and vast that if law enforcement takes down one market, it pops up elsewhere. For instance, after the closure of Genesis Market, its website came back after a few weeks.
Quick Links
A privacy researcher, Matt Brown of Brown Fine Security, found a number of vulnerabilities in Motorola Reaper HD license plate readers. The most glaring was that some devices were streaming live to the open internet for anyone to view, 404 Media reports. “Out of 195 countries worldwide, 177 choose to regulate online gaming. Only 18 nations, including North Korea, Iran, and Somalia, maintain total bans, and none have succeeded in eradicating underground gaming,” they said. He recommends verifying market employees carefully, and to weed out law enforcement infiltration through barium meal tests. Countries differ in how aggressively they monitor Dark Web activity.
ProPublica is independent, so you’ll find trustworthy news reports on topics ranging from corruption to inequality and environmental issues. As a bonus, the site is one of the most polished on the deep web, so you shouldn’t get a clunky experience that feels sus. So take this guide as you explore where to go on the Tor Browser without risking your online security. Criminals on the dark net use different types of malware to attack their victims’ devices. It was quite popular in the previous year and the trends show that it would be more popular in the current year.
Dark Web Vs Deep Web
As one of PrivacySavvy’s resident VPN experts, he guides readers on protecting their online information and anonymity. Saheed earned his degree in Technology and Ethics from the University of Lagos in Nigeria. Since then, he has dedicated his career to writing extensively about crucial infosec, data privacy, and cybersecurity topics. When he’s not empowering PrivacySavvy’s readers to take control of their online security, Saheed enjoys distance running, playing chess, and exploring the latest open-source software advancements. Even after Silk Road went down, dark web marketplaces haven’t slowed down. Stopping their growth takes serious effort from US agencies like the FBI, often working hand-in-hand with international law enforcement.
Range Of Available Products
However, the website does support automated P2G and 2FA and multiple kinds of account wallets. There are plenty of safety precautions as well to help protect customers. These include the ‘Vendor Warning System,’ a feature that will notify you if a vendor you’re looking at or buying from is potentially involved in a scam sale. There’s literally everything on here, and you can find anything from illegal, and legal, drugs, to concert tickets for your favorite band, it’s really quite the digital plaza.
According to SOCRadar’s 2025 report, the dark web is shifting from large, centralized marketplaces (like the now-defunct Hydra) to smaller, invite-only platforms. These newer markets use advanced encryption and multi-sig wallets to reduce scams and avoid law enforcement. Vice City’s an old-timer—over five years strong—and it’s all about keeping things steady with BTC and Monero. For 2025, they’re tweaking the mobile site, which I’ve been wanting forever—makes it easier on the go, especially if you’re using Tor on your phone (see how). It’s not fancy, but it’s dependable, and that’s why I keep coming back. Torrez has been steady since 2020, rocking 4,650+ listings with BTC, LTC, ZCash, and Monero.
Facebook’s dark web website helps people around the world connect, communicate, and organize. So Facebook’s onion portal is a valuable tool for people living under repressive regimes. Tor Links is a backup directory of “.onion” sites in case other directories go offline.
- That will help you remain alert to the most commonly used techniques used by hackers at any given time.
- Riseup provides email and chat services that keep no record of your online activity.
- Businesses can use deep and dark web monitoring tools to keep track of stolen credentials or mentions of their brand to protect against cyberattacks.
- The site is nicely laid out, there are a few categories to explore, and it’s quite a quaint experience.
- Thankfully, you don’t need to use your official name or email; just use a fake username (we tested it successfully).
Unfortunately, the dark web hosts not only explicit but also deeply illegal and disturbing content. The markets often share materials related to child exploitation, pornography, and non-consensual recordings, all of which are serious crimes that inflict lasting harm on real-life victims. Such content fuels a dangerous cycle of abuse, violence, and exploitation.
