Torch is one of the oldest and most popular onion search engines on the dark web, serving over 80,000 requests per day. Torch is funded primarily through advertising—purchased in BTC, of course—which is why you’ll find the front page blanketed with old-school banner ads of dubious origins. Founded by security researcher Juha Nurmi, Ahmia is essentially a list of “hidden” sites that do want to be found.
How Do I Open Onion Links?
ExpressVPN had created a .onion version of its website to allow greater privacy and anonymity for Tor browser users. You don’t need special tools or a special browser like you need to access the dark web (more about that later). Anyone can access the deep web by using specialized search engines, dedicated web directories, and other sources that can help you find the data or information.

The encrypted data is sent through a series of network-based nodes called onion routers. This encryption and relaying of your browsing data prevents anyone who is watching from detecting which websites you are visiting. As a host of a hidden service, keeping your IP hidden is usually your foremost concern (especially if your service is something you wouldn’t want authorities to probe in). This is why, as a rule-of-thumb, you shouldn’t send anything involving personal information (like your username, email, Social Security Number…) while using Tor.

Is Accessing The Dark Web Illegal In India?
This makes it even harder for third parties to see your email traffic. The social media giant is also aware of the many attempts by repressive regimes to restrict its access. After all, it enables users to connect and communicate with each other from around the world. If you know the right websites, you can easily access a tremendous amount of information, including research articles, news stories, and more. Enable two-factor authentication to avoid malicious actors accessing your accounts even if they get the correct username and password. Ensure your Tor browser is always up-to-date– automatic updates are enabled by default, but if turned off, you should manually update it regularly.
Is It Illegal To Visit The Dark Web?
These nodes/relays and the websites operating on them make up the Tor network, or as it is more generally named, the dark web. Tor is a web browser that allows users to browse the web anonymously. It works by bouncing your information through several routers around the world in order to hide your location.
Dark Web Chat/Social Networks
It makes up about 6% of the internet, and it’s where you find everything from illegal marketplaces to forums for whistleblowers. The Dark Web is a hidden part of the internet, completely different from the clear web we all use daily. When you search for something on Google or Bing, you’re using the clear web. If you only want to mask your IP address and don’t need to access the dark web, then going online with a VPN is much easier and faster than using Tor.
Well, VPN over Tor is basically its opposite – instead of going through the VPN first, the signal passes through the Tor network, before going through the VPN. Tor relays are servers run by volunteers, designed to keep your activities private and untraceable. Navigating the dark web requires extra layers of privacy, not just because of its content but due to legal scrutiny. The US Supreme Court has indicated that even casual browsing could lead to legal consequences.
FAQs On The Best Dark Web Search Engines

It will display a message, Onion available, if onions are available for the website. You can also search for onion links on DuckDuckGo’s onion page by clicking Onionize. As long as you are not looking for anything illegal in the real world, it’s perfectly legitimate to use the dark web to find whatever you need. Nevertheless, the dark web is home to certain disturbing and illegal content you’ll never find on the surface web. It’s not that you can’t find prohibited content on the surface web – it’s just harder to look for it, as Google or Bing filter the most harmful sites. If you stumble upon any websites that seem illegal, just close the window.
In addition, this included the acquisition of an unlimited license for the software known as Vivisimo’s Velocity, acquired by IBM in 2012 and renamed IBM Watson Explorer. Founded in 1998 as Ixquick.com, we later changed the name to Startpage.com. At Startpage.com, they take into account the privacy dangers of recording people’s search behavior, and given their team’s strong convictions about privacy, they decided to act accordingly.
- While no search engine can cover the entire dark web due to its decentralized and ever-changing nature, Haystak is a top choice for exploring its hidden content.
- The Tor Browser can take you to all kinds of questionable, dangerous, and potentially illegal content.
- Install Avast SecureLine VPN to encrypt your internet connection and protect your privacy wherever you go online.
- ZeroBin is a minimalist paste-bin tool that allows users to share text securely and privately on the Tor network.
How Are Dark Web Links Different From Regular Web Links?
When you attempt to access an onion site, your request is routed through multiple nodes within the Tor network. Each node adds a layer of encryption, akin to peeling back the layers of an onion—hence the name. This process ensures that your IP address remains hidden, providing a cloak of invisibility as you traverse the digital underworld. Tor is an anonymity network that hides your identity as you browse the web, share content, and engage in other online activities. It encrypts any data sent from your computer so that no one can see who or where you are, even when you’re logged into a website.

This part of the internet is not indexed by search engines and it’s the largest part of the entire internet. The “dark web” consists of hidden websites that you can’t access without special software. These websites won’t appear when you use Google or another search engine, and you can’t even access them unless you go out of your way to use the appropriate tools. Wikipedia, for all the issues it has, is still an invaluable resource for many people. While it’s true that you should be careful about citing it in a research paper, the site remains a great resource to get a general overview of a topic and find more in-depth resources. In the United States and nations with similar freedoms, we often take Wikipedia for granted, but there are many parts of the world where accessing the site can be very difficult and illegal.
Dark Web Links For Social Networking

Yippy is a search engine that started in 2009, since then it has evolved. To become a leading provider of business learning and knowledge for all types of data users and consumers. The search engine provides several special features beyond the original word. These include weather forecasts, maps, calculations and Boolean operations as inclusion or alternatives among others.
Facebook is aware of attempts by many governments to restrict access to a tool that allows strangers across the web to talk and collaborate freely. While its .onion address doesn’t make it much easier to maintain an anonymous account, it does make Facebook more accessible in places where it’s censored. Search engines on the dark web are a bit of a contradiction because dark web sites by definition are not indexed by traditional search engines. The three nodes separate your IP address from your destination and enable two individuals to communicate without either party, or any middleman, knowing who the other is.
While it’s a deep resource, it’s also illegal in many countries, because it may violate copyright restrictions, so check out the laws in your area before visiting. These forums are frequently accessed via the top 10 dark web search engines, serving as essential resources for information and networking. Proton further provides access over the Tor network through its customized onion address. When you create a free Proton account, you get encrypted email with 1 GB storage, two password vaults, and one VPN connection. At $9.99/month, you can migrate to a premium plan with 500 GB storage and unlimited messages.
How To Access The Deep Web?
It will offer you an additional layer of encryption to access the deep parts of the internet. Some governments actively monitor or block Tor traffic, and Tor use can raise suspicion even when not used for illegal activities. On its own, Tor obscures your IP address by bouncing online requests through multiple servers, similar to how a VPN routes your traffic through an external server. Websites you visit via Tor will see the IP address of the exit node, not your actual IP, just like websites see the IP address of your remote server when using a VPN. Always verify a site’s legitimacy before visiting – onion addresses are long, random strings, making it easier for malicious actors to create lookalike addresses for phishing.