Dark web pages that are worthwhile

The Dark Web is the mysterious part of the Internet that can only be accessed with the Tor Browser. Websites with an address ending in ".onion" contain "hidden services" that are not accessible with a normal browser (except with a lot of trickery). The Tor Browser not only enables access to these services, it also offers a high level of anonymity. In the media, the dark web is often associated with illegal activities and there are countless black markets where drugs, weapons, forged documents and much more can be bought. There is a core of truth in the shady image of the dark web in the media, but it is often exaggerated, distorted or simply wrong.

You can also find surprisingly benign things on the dark web that you almost never hear of. This article aims to show that the 'dark' side of the internet has a good side too. And with the current links you can even get an idea for yourself.

We have compiled a list of websites that may be of interest to curious newbies who want to try the dark web in a safe way. Some pages on this list have serious backgrounds, others are funny nonsense. Have fun exploring! Don't know how to get into the dark web? Check out our detailed guide to the Dark Web!

Warning: safety comes first on the dark web!

Anyone wishing to explore the dark web should take some security measures. Because the dark web is unregulated, the risk of malware and threats from hackers is high. Make sure you have an up-to-date anti-virus program and use a VPN. With a VPN, all your data traffic is encrypted and protected from all kinds of attacks.

A good entry-level VPN is Surfshark. For less than € 1.75 per month, Surfshark protects all your data traffic with awesome encryption that makes it impossible for criminals to access your data. In addition, your IP address is concealed, which means that you are anonymously on the Internet to a certain extent. This allows, among other things Authorities, Internet providers and hackers no longer see what you are doing online. Surfshark offers a 30-day money-back guarantee, so it's no risk to try it out. This is an important step for a safe use of the dark web.

Part 1: Dark Web Search Engines

There is no search engine like Google in the dark web, but you can still find your way around using search engines and directories if you know where to look. These pages will help you orientate yourself.

1. Hidden Wiki

Hidden Wiki is a dark web site similar to Wikipedia that has links to various other sites on the dark web. As you may have noticed, addresses on the dark web are often a random combination of numbers and letters. This can make it difficult to find a specific page. Hidden Wiki can be helpful here. It also provides useful information on a variety of topics.

Be careful not to click on any links whose content you do not want to see, because Hidden Wiki does not only contain legal websites. There are even several different "hidden wikis". Hidden Wiki also had links to pages with pedophile content for a while, after which it became a target for the FBI and Anonymous. There are many imitators and offshoots of the Hidden Wiki, but these versions ("The Official Hidden Wiki", "The Uncensored Hidden Wiki") should be avoided. Assume that every Hidden Wiki page has some links that you certainly don't want to click. In general, you should limit yourself to relatively safe categories.

Link to Hidden Wiki: http://zqktlwiuavvvqqt4ybvgvi7tyo4hjl5xgfuvpdf6otjiycgwqbym2qad.onion/wiki/index.php/Main_Page

2. DuckDuckGo

The DuckDuckGo search engine can also be found on the 'normal' Surface Web. Unlike other search engines, DuckDuckGo does not collect any data about its users. This makes it an ideal search engine if you want to use the Internet as anonymously as possible. In the dark web, DuckDuckGo is also used because .onion websites are also displayed. Where an ordinary search engine on the dark web doesn't help, DuckDuckGo still works.

Link to DuckDuckGo: https://3g2upl4pq6kufc4m.onion/

3. Candle

This page has a fitting name, because like a candle, Candle throws light into the dark web. Candle is a search engine like Google, but not nearly as useful: The dark web wasn't designed to be clear and easy to use; most services are supposed to stay hidden, except for the initiated. That is why Candle only illuminates a small part of the dark web. Again, do not click carelessly on any links, because the search results are not filtered for legality or harmfulness. Use common sense and be vigilant!

Link to Candle: http://gjobqjj7wyczbqie.onion/

4. Not Evil

Noch eine Suchmaschine für das Dark Web. Auf den ersten Blick scheint sie interessant, denn sie hat zum Ziel „einen Beitrag zum wachsenden Schutz gegen die Tyrannei einer intoleranten Mehrheit“. Spenden werden nicht akzeptiert und alle illegalen Inhalte wie Kinderpornografie und Drogen sind streng verboten.

Jedoch hält sich Not Evil selbst nicht an diese Regeln. Wer z.B. nach „Kokain“ sucht, erhält eine Reihe von Links zu Schwarzmärkten, Anleitungen und Foren zur illegalen Droge. Not Evil bietet auch eine Chatfunktion, unter der jeder Nutzer neue Themen erstellen kann. Diese Themen erstrecken sich von gestört bis hin zu abscheulich. Das meiste ist jedoch einfach Spam.

Es ist davon auszugehen, dass sich auch Hacker, Betrüger und sogar Strafverfolgungsbehörden auf solchen Chatseiten tummeln. Die Gesetzeshüter starten im Dark Web gelegentlich „Honey-Pot Operations“, die Kriminelle in die Falle locken sollen.

Link zu Not Evil: http://hss3uro2hsxfogfq.onion/

5. SearX

SearX is also a search engine that can be used both on the regular internet and on the dark web. SearX has the advantage that the search queries can be made extremely specific. You can search for files, pictures, maps, music, news, science articles, social media posts, videos, etc. So if you are looking for something very specific, SearX is the place to go.

Link to SearX: http://ulrn6sryqaifefld.onion/

Part 2: Exploring the Dark Web

The dark web is full of surprising sites and one of them is Facebook. We do not recommend logging into Facebook in terms of anonymity, but it is noticeable that Facebook has such a large presence on the dark web.

6. Facebook

This is a 'mirror' of the real Facebook website. You can open an anonymous Facebook account using the Dark Web version, but it takes a lot of effort because, as we know, Facebook likes to collect data.

More importantly, this mirrored version can bypass government censorship. Some regimes block or censor social media in order to suppress any form of contradiction. With the dark web version of Facebook, citizens from such countries can still register anonymously on Facebook.

Link to the Facebook mirror: https://www.facebookcorewwwi.onion/

7. Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies

Even if Bitcoin is only just becoming known to the general public, the crypto currency has been around on the dark web for years. It will come as no surprise to you that there are many pages on the dark web on the subject. On sites like Onion Wallet, GreenAddress and Smartmixer you can buy, manage and sell crypto currencies.

Here you can also see how the prices are developing and whether it is the right time to buy or sell. Most shops on the dark web accept Bitcoin, so its popularity is not surprising.

Link to Onion Wallet: http://ow24et3tetp6tvmk.onion/
Link to GreenAddress: http://s7a4rvc6425y72d2.onion/en/
Link to Smartmixer.io: http://smrtmxdxognxhv64.onion/en/start-mixing

8. BBC Tor Mirror

Some countries and governments have strict censorship and block access to foreign news sites. A good example of this is the BBC's site, which is inaccessible in some totalitarian countries. At least not on the normal Internet, because this is where the Tor Browser comes into play.

The BBC has developed a special Tor news site that can be reached on the dark web. The aim is to give everyone unrestricted and anonymous access to the BBC news source, no matter where they live. The BBC's Dark Web site is an international version, so the focus is not on UK news, but on global issues.

Link to the official BBC Dark Web page: http://bbcnewsv2vjtpsuy.onion/

9. Tor Metric

The Onion Router Logo The Tor Metric page provides information about the Tor Project for anyone interested in data protection and how the Tor Browser works. There are also interesting statistics here, including how many users the Tor Browser has and how many .onion pages there are. These numbers give an idea of how active the dark web is, how many 'hidden' websites there are and where most of the dark web users come from.

A few facts:

• Only about 6% of Tor users use the dark web.
• Most Tor users come from relatively small countries like Germany and the Netherlands
• In 2019 alone, the Tor Browser was downloaded about half a million times.

Link to Tor Metric: http://rougmnvswfsmd4dq.onion/

10. Hidden Answers

Hidden Answers is the dark web version of Reddit or Quora, so to speak. You can ask any question you want with no limitation. Others in the community answer. It can also be interesting to just look around, but be aware that this is the unregulated part of the internet. So you could discover topics that you would rather not know about.

This is also a good place to ask questions about the dark web if you're new to it. It is safer, however, to ask such questions to special dark web subreddits.

Link Hidden Answers: http://answerstedhctbek.onion/

11. SecureDrop

SecureDrop is a place where whistleblowers and journalists can meet. Often times, the dark web is the only way whistleblowers can share sensitive information without being tracked. Whistleblowers often have knowledge that can be very harmful to governments or companies and want to share this information with journalists. If this happens on the Surface Web, severe penalties can result. Secure Drop is an .onion site that is used worldwide. Many large news organizations and press agencies have recognized the potential of the dark web for whistleblowers and are now running their own SecureDrop sites. Some examples:

• Forbes: http://t5pv5o4t6jyjilp6.onion/
• The Financial Times: http://xdm7flvwt3uvsrrd.onion/
• Reuters: http://smb7p276iht3i2fj.onion/

Link Secure Drop: http://secrdrop5wyphb5x.onion/

Part 3: Email Services on the Dark Web

There are enough other email providers besides Outlook and Gmail. Take a look around, some of these great services are even free.

12. ProtonMail

ProtonMail is an encrypted e-mail service from Switzerland with one of the best e-mail clients out there. All emails are end-to-end encrypted and no user or connection data is saved. In addition, no personal data is requested when creating an account.

Link ProtonMail: https://protonirockerxow.onion/

13. SecMail

SecMail has developed into one of the most popular email providers on the dark web in recent years. Although the mailboxes on offer only have a measly 25MB storage capacity, this is often more than enough for PGP-encrypted messages. If you want to use SecMail as the standard mail service, 25MB is probably not enough.

Link SecMail: http://secmailw453j7piv.onion/

14. Mailpile

Another provider that protects your emails from prying eyes is Mailpile. All emails are encrypted and you can save them yourself instead of in the cloud. Another advantage is that the service is free and open-source.

Link Mailpile: http://clgs64523yi2bkhz.onion/

Part 4: Miscellaneous on the Dark Web

15. Comic Book Library

Are you a comic book lover? The Comic Book Library has thousands of comic books to download, from mainstream to absolute niche titles. Please note, however, that the download may leads to copyright infringement, even if you access the page via Tor.

Link Comic Book Library: http://r6rfy5zlifbsiiym.onion/

16. Deep Web Radio

Do you want music while exploring the dark web? You're in luck because the dark web has its own digital radio station. You can choose from all kinds of genres on Deep Web Radio. We tested it and were able to stream 11 different channels with different styles of music through Tor.

Link Deep Web Radio: http://76qugh5bey5gum7l.onion/

WARNING!

Curiosity is good, but it can also be dangerous. It can be interesting to take a look at the dark web, but it can also be risky. Before you know it, you clicked the wrong link and caught a virus. That is why we do not recommend going to the dark web without good reason.

If you still want to take a look, you should take some precautionary measures to protect yourself against attacks.

Safety measures

Visiting the dark web carries risks, so you should take the following security measures to protect yourself and your device.
First, you need good anti-virus software. This protects you against an attack by viruses or other malware. Such a program is essential if you want to venture into the dark web, even if you just take a quick look.

Second, you need a good VPN. A VPN (Virtual Private Network) is a program that encrypts all your traffic and disguises your IP address. As a precaution, a VPN on the dark web is highly recommended. In addition, a VPN makes it much more difficult for hackers to determine your true identity. Some good VPN providers are Surfshark, ExpressVPN, NordVPN, and IPVanish.

Lastly, use common sense. Never click on links that you do not trust and never enter sensitive personal information on the dark web.

Conclusion

The dark web sounds mysterious and maybe even creepy, but some of the .onion addresses are very harmless. For the average internet user, there is really no reason why one should go there. If you are still curious, you can visit one of these 10 websites. Remember that there are some dubious machinations and many scammers to be found on the dark web, so don't click any links at random.

Use common sense and have fun exploring!