Dark Web Links and How to Access the Dark Web

What is the Dark Web?

The dark web is part of the larger pool of websites called the 'deep web', which consists of all unindexed/unsearchable sites across all dark web, Clearnet (another name for the 'normal Internet'), and other protocols. Deep websites elect to be 'invitation only' a lot of the time and are completely disconnected from the normal websites that make up the clarinet.

But the dark web requires special tools and protocols to access its contents, which is what differentiates it from the rest of the deep web. It's a different world with different rules, ranging from how to access the dark web, to the way that domains are established, to the laws and international policies that people choose to respect and ignore.

The dark web uses onion routing to make privacy and encryption the priorities. The packet's originator picks a set of nodes from a list provided by a directory node. Onion routing is a game of telephone, with each request passed from one node to the next, and with each message only decryptable by the next node in the chain, having no knowledge of any other devices in the broader chain. All an onion node knows is who handed off a packet, and the very next hop in the route.

So it shouldn't be a shock that the kind of sites found on the dark web is called 'Onion sites'. But how are Onion sites accessed?

The Easy Way to Access the Dark Web

The first method of accessing Onion sites on the dark web is the easiest way: Download and install Hoody on a normal web browser.

Hoody is a privacy app that provides fast access to dark web resources. Anyone who is worried about privacy and anonymity, anyone who wishes to avoid censorship, and anyone who needs to bypass country-based blocking should consider using Hoody.

There's no need to compromise the compatibility that comes with using a major browser (such as Chrome, Firefox, Safari, or Brave). With Hoody, you can continue to use the browser you're familiar with. It will handle all of the encryption and decryption, designate entry and exit nodes, and auto-detect the fastest way to get to the information that you need.

By making a normal web browser into an Onion-compatible dark web browser, there are no reg flags thrown up. There's no specialized web browser that can be found on your system, and no suspicious icons on the desktop or launch bar. Not even your ISP will know that you visited any Onion sites. Hoody can accomplish all this while hiding your web browser's fingerprint to avoid advertiser and government tracking.

The Hard Way to Access the Dark Web

If for some reason you can't use Hoody, the other option is to access dark websites with the Tor web browser. Of the two available options, this one is more difficult and loading of pages will be way slower. It requires a bit of configuration, as well as trial and error in finding the right ingress and egress points, also known as the Entry and Exit nodes for your proxied connection.

Step 1: Begin by downloading the Tor web browser. Install it on your desktop, laptop, or another device. Tor uses onion routing by default to access dark websites. It has all of the built-in cryptographic functions that will be required, as well as the ability to host a cryptocurrency wallet for anonymous online payments.

Step 2: Open the Tor browser and follow the initial configuration instructions that the Tor Project provides for first-time users. While you're at it, you should look at your node configuration for the next step.

Step 3: Start by backing up and then editing the 'torrc' file. Find the country codes that you wish to use as your start and end points when browsing the dark web. Use the ISO search engine and click on the Country Code option. Then change the country codes for the Entry and Exit Nodes in the plain text 'torrc' file. Save the results.

Step 4: After saving torrc, shut down the Tor browser and then restart it. This should establish the new Entry and Exit nodes, as well as refresh any configuration changes made to the browser itself.

The only thing you need now is dark web links in the Onion site format.

Onion Based Dark Web Links

Note: These Onion addresses are live as of 16 September 2021. Due to the nature of the dark web, they could be gone the next day, or up for 20 more years. You just never know.

Unlike the 'normal' World Wide Web, finding up-to-date Onion links can be hard. Because of the privacy involved, this information has no central name resolution that automatically updates. It's not as easy as typing duckduckgo.onion or any such thing.

Instead, one of the best places to go for up-to-date Onion links is central dark web wikis. The one to start with is The Hidden Wiki. The Hidden Wiki has a ton of darknet resources listed, and it tends to be more up-to-date than other sites. Some different Onion search engines and wikis are available, listed as 'Introduction Points'. These search engines are generally not great, simply because of how the dark web works. Nonetheless, they can be useful from time to time. The wikis are more reliable.

http://zqktlwiuavvvqqt4ybvgvi7tyo4hjl5xgfuvpdf6otjiycgwqbym2qad.onion/wiki/index.php/Main_Page

For example, TorLinks is a moderated version of The Hidden Wiki that is more controlled and precise. Not much more to say than that!

http://torlinksge6enmcyyuxjpjkoouw4oorgdgeo7ftnq3zodj7g2zxi3kyd.onion/

Another popular link is Darknetlive. Darknetlive is all about dark web-specific news, covering investigations, trials, arrests, announcements, and anything else that might be helpful to those attempting to keep a low profile and maintain their anonymity:

http://darkzzx4avcsuofgfez5zq75cqc4mprjvfqywo45dfcaxrwqg6qrlfid.onion/

For more general journalism, ProPublica should be your first stop. It was the first online news source to win the Pulitzer Prize. They specialize in unbiased, hard-hitting investigative reporting.

http://p53lf57qovyuvwsc6xnrppyply3vtqm7l6pcobkmyqsiofyeznfu5uqd.onion/

One of the most important websites for reporting problems with people in power, whether in government, military, or a private organization, is SecureDrop. Securedrop is a truly anonymous whistleblower site. Many organizations have signed up to use it. Many press organizations accept anonymous leads and evidence via SecureDrop, including The Guardian, The Washington Post, and Al Jazeera. The Freedom of the Press Foundation manages the site.

http://sdolvtfhatvsysc6l34d65ymdwxcujausv7k5jk4cy5ttzhjoi6fzvyd.onion/

And now for something that's pretty cool. Black Cloud is like Dropbox, but completely anonymous. The server doesn't look at what you drop. You simply drop it. Then a URL is generated that allows access to that particular dropped file.

http://bcloudwenjxgcxjh6uheyt72a5isimzgg4kv5u74jb2s22y3hzpwh6id.onion/

Riseup is a webmail and IMAP E-mail provider for protestors, journalists, and those who need anonymity. They also host real-time wikis, group collaboration, collaborative text editing, and a pastebin / imagebin type solution.

http://vww6ybal4bd7szmgncyruucpgfkqahzddi37ktceo3ah7ngmcopnpyyd.onion

Wrapping It All Up

Just like the clearnet, the dark web has more to explore than any one human could manage in a lifetime. But unlike the clearnet, search engines just won't get you everywhere that you want to go. So start with the links and wikis above, and try some of the (limited) search engines that are available. But be careful: There are a lot of scams on the dark web and zero protection from them. Be extra cautious, never give out personal information, and keep your shields up.

We always suggest browsing with Hoody active, to keep your browser fingerprint obfuscated. It's also, simply put, a much easier way to access the dark web than the Tor browser. But no matter how you get there, enjoy your adventures on the dark web. Stay safe.