The dark web is a part of the internet that is not indexed by traditional search engines and requires specific software, such as the Tor browser, to access. It is often associated with illegal activities, but it also has legitimate uses. Here are some surprising facts about the dark web:

General Facts

• Physical Backbone Vulnerability: The internet's physical backbone, especially undersea fiber-optic cables, is surprisingly fragile and vulnerable to natural disasters, accidents, and sabotage. "Undersea fiber-optic cables carry over 95% of international data, linking continents through a few strategic routes. These cables are vulnerable to natural disasters, accidents, and sabotage."

• Google's Second Page: Exploring the second page of Google search results can be more dangerous than the dark web itself. "Page 2 of Google is where you realize... even Google gave up. But if you really want to see how dark it gets, welcome to the Dark Web."

• AWS's Role: Amazon Web Services (AWS) owns a significant portion of the cloud and physical internet infrastructure. "Most people think Amazon is just an online shop operated by minimum wage workers. Amazon also owns a bunch of the Cloud and physical Internet infrastructure, and that's a massive part of its revenue."

Dark Web Specifics

• Marketplaces and Illegal Activities: The dark web is infamous for marketplaces selling drugs, weapons, and fake IDs. "From what I've seen it's mostly websites that sell stuff like drugs and stuff like fake IDs."

• Child Pornography: One user reported tracking down and reporting a person selling child pornography on the dark web. "About 6 years ago i went on it with my best friend and we found out a guy in our town was selling CP so we tracked down his IP and had him arrested."

• Red Rooms: There are rumors about "red rooms" where people can watch live stream murders, but these are likely fake. "Red Rooms…a theory that they existed…but some dark web explorers stated there never existed..🤷‍♂️"

Navigating the Dark Web

• Bookmarks and Links: Navigating the dark web requires keeping a collection of links since there are no traditional search engines. "You have to find links from people then keep them safe."

• Search Engines: There are some search engines like Ahmia and Torch that can help you find hidden services. "Use some search engines like Ahmia or torch or whatever, and on those search engines you can also find some link lists."

Positive Uses

• Communication in Oppressive Countries: The dark web was originally developed to help people in oppressive countries communicate freely. "One of the reasons why TOR was developed by the US government in the first place was to help get information in and out of oppressive countries."

• Journalism: Journalists use the dark web to evade harm and espionage. "It's a means for journalists and others to be able to communicate in nations where internet is heavily locked down."

Personal Safety

• Data Protection: It's almost impossible to remove your data from the dark web once it's leaked. "Once the info is out there, there's no fixing that."

• Safe Exploration: It is okay to explore the dark web as long as you avoid downloading suspicious files and looking for illegal content. "Yes. It's pretty damn safe if you don't download anything or look for fucked up shit."

Subreddits for Further Questions

• r/AskReddit

• r/TOR

• r/NoStupidQuestions

These communities can provide more insights and answer specific questions about the dark web.