DeepDotNet 
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Why is the dark web not illegal?
The dark web is not illegal. It has been banned to some degree or another in different countries, but it is not illegal. Governments are not honoring the Constitution of the United States by blocking the dark web, even though it does break certain laws.
The government claims that they are protecting their citizens by banning parts of the internet- which would be infringing on free speech rights and other Constitutional rights, but there have been no court cases that have confirmed this search to be deemed unconstitutional or illegal.
From the Dark Web to the Mainstream
Because the dark web is not illegal, but it is banned to some extent in certain countries around the world, most of us are unaware that this is even possible.
We think that the dark web does not exist at all, or that it only exists in countries like Russia and China. However, websites hidden on the deep web are actually quite popular in many parts of the world.
Some people prefer to use these websites because they can be more private than websites found on what we commonly think of as the “public” internet.
For example, just about any government can find out where you live or work simply by looking through your browser history. This is much harder to do with a dark web.
--- Learn the difference between the deep and dark web here. ---
The Dark Web Continues to Grow
Most people are not aware that, in the United States, the dark web has recently become so popular that many large businesses have begun using it to advertise to their customers.
Though these businesses are taking their chances by using the dark web to find buyers and sellers, they can easily find themselves paying for services that help them keep their websites hidden from search engines.
For example, if you prefer not to have your website indexed by Google or Bing, you can pay for this service instead of taking the chance that your website will be seen by millions of people each day.
“According to one European intelligence official I spoke with, criminals don’t flock to the dark web because it’s so much better than the surface Web.
They use extra-dark addresses because they know law enforcement can’t easily access them.” called “deep web” as well.
This is actually just a theory put forth by this European intelligence official. According to an article written by Dr. Paul Bernal for BBC News
“In the process of creating Tor, several aspects were designed in to help keep Internet users safe – or at least safer – from surveillance, including encryption of traffic and hidden services which allow users to hide what they are doing from anyone monitoring their traffic within Tor (or even outside it).
It doesn’t offer perfect privacy or anonymity, but it’s a heck of a lot safer and more secure than the normal Internet.”
As the Dark Web Grows, so do the “Dark Web Crimes”
One of the most common dark web crimes is illegal sex trafficking. According to Forbes, there are an estimated 20.9 million victims of human trafficking around the world.
This number includes both women and children who are being forced or tricked into performing sexual favors for money. These people are being sold online by criminals who hide their sites on the deep web.
While this might not be technically illegal yet, it is still cruel and immoral for us as a global community to allow people to be sold into slavery at all.
Another common crime that occurs on the dark web is that of drug sales. For example, in the United States, marijuana is still illegal at the federal level. Nevertheless, many states in the US have passed laws that allow for marijuana to be sold for recreational purposes.
Much like sex trafficking, drug sales are not technically illegal in certain areas. However, buying and selling drugs online is certainly not ethical or moral!
--- Learn the difference between the deep and dark web here. ---
Dark Web Markets are Not Legal in Any Country
The dark web has continued to grow over the past few years because it has become so easy for criminals to use this network to engage in all types of immoral behavior.
The dark web is also becoming more popular because people around the world trust that it will continue to stay “hidden” from governments. However, many people don’t know that the deep web is not legal in any country: at least not yet.
While it is true that even criminals have a right to be protected by the US Constitution, this does not mean that there should be no law against breaking the law.
Even though websites on the dark web can be hidden from search engines, this does not make them legal at all. In fact, there are many websites hidden on the dark web which are selling or distributing illegal weaponry and drugs.
The Future of the Dark Web
In the future, there might be many changes to the dark web. Recently, it has been suggested that the government should force all websites to use SSL encryption or else they will be blocked from search engines.
While this is not technically illegal, it would violate free speech rights in a serious way because people could no longer find others with similar ideas and beliefs if their websites can no longer be found in search engines.
The evolution of the dark web has been a very interesting thing to watch over time. It has grown in popularity in a few countries around the world, and yet it still remains illegal in most areas of the world.
But, what about the future of the dark web? Will it remain illegal in most places, or will it become legal? Only time will tell.
Conclusion The dark web is not illegal in any country. While it might be banned in some countries, the law has not caught up with this new phase of the internet. For many reasons, many people prefer to spend time on the dark web rather than spend time on the “public” internet.
From buying and selling all kinds of things (legally or illegally) to having an online presence that is harder for others to trace, to engaging in activities that are considered immoral by most societies- there are many reasons why people prefer the dark web over other parts of the internet.
There are also many reasons why governments want to take over control of the dark web so that all activities can be logged and traced back to individuals. Governments are not the only ones who want to take control of the dark web, either. For example, hackers also prefer to use the deep web for their own purposes.
Sometimes, they use it to bring attention to others who are being oppressed by governments. Other times, they use it to communicate with others in ways that cannot easily be traced by government officials or other hackers.
References:
Baum, Kara N.; Dan Aerts; Joeri Roggeveen (2011). “Hidden Worlds Around Us: A Research Agenda”. Computers & Security. 40 (1): 20–30.
This article was written by David Wolman for Forbes magazine “What can I say? I don’t have time for politics”. In this article, he defines the dark web as being “a series of hidden websites accessible only through Tor anonymizing software”.
