Trudging through the dark web to expose child abuse

Watch an ethical hacker provide a tour of the dark web

Cybersecurity researcher John Hammond explores the effectiveness of a dark web search engine, leaks from ransomware group data breaches, and a categorized index of dark web links, including some that are alleged to host malware. Many dark web sites are no longer active or host scams to fool unsuspecting visitors.

The dark web can expose anonymous users to potentially dangerous environments

Browsing the dark web requires onion routing, which prevents visitors from being identified and the locations from which they connect from being traced. This has been useful to activists in environments affected by political oppression or instability. However, those unfamiliar with navigating the space may encounter malware and network attacks from denizen hackers.

Accessing the dark web is legal in the US, the EU, and most countries worldwide

As long as users do not pay for illegal goods or services or acquire illegal content, they cannot be prosecuted. Those on the dark web include academics, researchers, and cybersecurity experts gathering threat intelligence on cybercriminals, cyberterrorists, and state actors, as well as protesters, activists, and grassroots organizers.

Credit monitoring services may oversell the benefits of dark web monitoring

Currently, technology exists to scrape and download data from webpages, which can then be analyzed to identify a user's information. However, scrapers cannot access or remove personal data from dark websites because they are often protected by paywalls, rendering monitoring ineffective beyond reporting publicly available data breaches.

The dark web protects free speech from censorship and authoritarian oversight

Encrypted networks allow users with internet access anywhere in the world to view blocked content and avoid surveillance when communicating evidence of abuse to independent journalists. The same networks can support democracies by helping activists coordinate protests on dark web forums.

A US Department of Defense research lab developed the technology for the dark web

Although encryption existed to mask the content of communications across the internet before the 1990s, those managing overseas network infrastructure could determine a spy's affiliation based on where they saw data sent to and received from. To keep this information secret, the US Naval Research Laboratory developed onion routing, which enabled anonymized web browsing. The release of the technology to the public obscured sensitive communications further by growing the volume of anonymous data.

The dark web cannot be stumbled upon by accident

Many pages on the dark web are not publicly broadcast and are available only to relevant parties on a need-to-know basis. Although some online directories list the URLs for these webpages, connecting to them still requires specialized software, as these pages block connections from traditional web browsers such as Chrome.

Explore content on the dark web safely with the Ahmia search engine

Endorsed by the Tor project, the 501(c)(3) research-education nonprofit responsible for the software needed to navigate the dark web, Ahmia allows users to search known onion sites while blocking illegal and harmful content. Through the search engine, activists can learn where to anonymously send files to media outlets.

A 2020 study suggests just 6.7% of Tor network users visit sites on the dark web

It did not distinguish between visits to malicious sites and traffic to legitimate institutions with .onion domains, such as the BBC or Buzzfeed, and thus claimed that 6.7% of anonymized users engage in nefarious activity. The low percentage still highlights that most users of the technology underlying the dark web do not use it to browse the hidden portion of the internet.

Technical vulnerabilities prevent full-proof anonymity when browsing the dark web

Despite encrypting data and relaying it within the Tor network, traffic between the network exit and the final destination is no longer hidden and can be captured. Law enforcement agencies can also attempt to deanonymize users by monitoring and matching data signal patterns entering and leaving the network via a correlation algorithm.

Explore metrics on the Tor network, the infrastructure of the dark web

While internet traffic within the network is concealed, public, nonsensitive data can be used to estimate the number of active users, the number of relay servers, network performance speed and reliability, etc. Researchers can use this data to indirectly identify political upheavals or censorship campaigns worldwide, such as the Arab Spring.

The deep web accounts for 90-95% of the internet

Within the Deep Web is the small and hidden Dark Web, which is inaccessible via traditional web browsers. Dark Web inhabitants are anonymous and use special software to access encrypted websites that can assist with both free speech and criminal activity.

The dark web makes up about 0.01% of all the data on the internet

The surface web (5%-10%) consists of indexed sites—those traditional search engines have visited and stored so users can discover them via web search. The remaining 90%-95% makes up the deep web, which is not indexed and includes email and banking portals that require login credentials. The dark web is unindexed and requires anonymizing software to visit.

Individuals have been convicted of ordering assassinations from the dark web

Researchers have uncovered online storefronts allegedly run by members of various mafia or hitmen that offer to harm or murder individuals in exchange for monetary payment. However, no known murder has been attributed to any of them, and cybercrime task forces believe them to be scams (warning—sensitive content).

Fraud and identity theft are among the most common dark web-related crimes.

Deepfake pornography poses significant challenges in combating sexual abuse

In 2017, 96% of deepfake videos involved image-based sexual abuse, which has disproportionately targeted minority women, LGBTQ individuals, adolescents and celebrities. Cultural norms, misogyny and AI advancements have contributed to the proliferation of explicit deepfake content.

As of April 2022, a million people access Facebook on the dark web monthly

While those using an anonymized web browser, such as Tor, have been able to access the social network's .onion site since 2014, the announcement marks a major milestone by the tech giant, which has worked to ensure its users can bypass restrictions by various governments and continue visiting the site.

As of 2025, an estimated $3.2B in annual revenue flows through dark web platforms

The untraceable cryptocurrency Monero is used in about 60% of transactions across more than 37 active marketplaces that sell copyrighted materials, private information, and phishing kits—tools that help bad actors more easily create fake sites to steal users' data—for financial fraud.

Exposing a beloved British personality as a pedophile

After Jimmy Savile's 2011 death, comments damning him began populating an online networking site for an "emotionally disturbed girls" residential school. These comments pricked the ears of two BBC journalists whose desks had been slowly covered in rumors of abuse by the public figure and former BBC presenter. This podcast series focuses on how journalists bring stories to light and is one of two episodes detailing Savile's story.

Instead of .com or similar, web addresses on the dark web end in 'd.onion'

Since the latest version of the onion routing protocol, dark web domain names consist of a random set of 56 alphanumeric characters followed by .onion (e.g., propublica.org → p53lf57qovyuvwsc6xnrppyply3vtqm7l6pcobkmyqsiofyeznfu5uqd.onion). The last character is always "d" due to the encryption algorithm's requirements.

Ruby Franke is an influencer serving time in jail for child abuse

The story of this parenting influencer is perhaps one of the darkest stories to come out of the creator economy. Ruby Franke previously ran a YouTube channel with millions of followers where she made money by monetizing her controversial parenting advice. Now she’s serving jail time for child abuse.

True crime fans can sometimes disregard the real people and trauma behind cases

True crime content has become a social gathering place. In addition to content generated by creators, consumer-driven true crime spaces have blossomed on social media. In these spaces, consumers track developments and share theories as if criminal cases are sports. Citizen sleuths can sometimes inspire new leads but often add to survivors' suffering and sling speculation that can clog tip lines and hit innocent bystanders.

Support groups may not be private and can suddenly change focus

Sexual assault survivors that had gathered on a Facebook support group were shocked when administrators suddenly changed the group into one for sharing erotica. Its members were trolled, and ultimately, it was unclear whether its creators had planned for this shocking shift or if the group had been hacked. (Some users may encounter a paywall.)

Google only sorts and searches a fraction of the overall internet

The "surface web," consisting of billions of public webpages, excludes nonindexed digital content, such as corporate intranets and email inboxes. A deeper layer, called the dark web, is also hidden and requires special software to access.

Marketplaces on the dark web provide eBay-like vendor feedback scores

An HP analysis found that 77% of cybercriminal marketplaces require vendors to purchase a license to sell their products, which can cost up to $3,000. About 92% of these marketplaces also use a third-party dispute-resolution service to handle customer service issues, thereby promoting "honor among thieves."

The story of Susy Thunder, the female hacker who disappeared

Here's the story of Susan Thunder, a woman who entered the hacker underground scene in the late 1970s and one day disappeared completely. She had a troubled past, facing abuse and hardship, and found solace in manipulating phone systems and later computer systems. She became involved with prominent hackers and her ability to control systems mirrored her quest for personal control. Her story highlights the role of social engineering in hacking.

True crime fans can derail lives with misguided accusations

In the wake of four stabbing deaths at the University of Idaho in November 2023, online sleuths, without any supporting evidence, were quick to point accusatory fingers at potential perpetrators. Poring over news reports, social media pages, and internet interactions can reveal viable information that can help solve crimes. Such (sometimes monetizable) behavior can also easily give rise to rumors and threats while impeding official investigations.(Some readers may experience a paywall.)

Determine if you're an ethical true crime fan

True crime entertainment researcher Lindsey Sherrill is obsessed with her field of study. She noticed that some true crime content dove into criminal and justice reform, illuminating forgotten cases, while others turned into exploitative entertainment. So, she developed four questions to reflect on the real-life implications of one's true crime consumption.

Some attorneys are using true crime fans to their advantage

True crime fans are notorious for falling down rabbit holes. Now that passionate interest is being exploited by attorneys marshaling influencers to serve as informal public relations representatives, a trend that's blurring the lines between fan theories and reality.

Web crawlers and internet archives and back-ups limit perfect erasure of online data

Crawlers are programs that automatically browse the internet for links and index pages for search engines to pull up when page content matches search queries. Networks of global data centers also create copies of content as fail-safes for potential failures to ensure access isn't ever lost.

Searching for a hate crime's unknown victim

In 2004, two federal agents heard a rumor: two white men, one under investigation for an unrelated crime, had gotten away with killing a Black man 15 years earlier as a requirement to join a white supremacist group. One of the men confessed to the crime, though he didn't know who was killed. This series dives into the search for the slain man and the justice he deserved.

In 2020, rumors spread that Wayfair ran a child sex trafficking operation

Users took note of many Wayfair furniture items with girls' names being sold for high prices. A well-known QAnon activist helped spread the conspiracy more widely during a time of heightened distrust in institutions as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. The theory was proven to be untrue.

Anonymous' war against Russia

Anonymous has been waging a cyber war on Russia for invading Ukraine. CNBC takes a look at how effective the collective’s six main strategies have been.

The Melissa 'virus' helped associate pornographic sites with computer viruses

A worm-embedded document posted online enticed users to download and open it by alleging to contain passwords to paywalled explicit websites. Upon opening, the worm shared itself with 50 addresses in a user's Outlook contacts, masquerading as a friendly attachment. Its rapid spread overwhelmed email servers and caused $1.1B in damage worldwide.

How companies track you around the internet, explained

Being able to track how users behave on websites is a massive opportunity for companies to hone their products, target their ads, and more. Dozens of trackers are on the average website you visit, depending on how you deal with that site's cookie policy, and Google is the chief tracker of them all. Learn about these companies and what they are tracking with this informative blog visualization.

True crime, explained

Tales exploring some of the most grisly and unthinkable crimes have satisfied the public's morbid curiosity for more than a century, and modern podcasting has shot the genre to new heights. Want to learn more about the history of true crime? 1440 has the breakdown here.

Conspiracy theories today are often born from online radicalization

New York Times tech columnist Kevin Roose examines how individuals become radicalized while using platforms like YouTube. Hate crimes that took place before the COVID-19 pandemic inspired the podcast, which looks at online commentators, algorithms, and isolation, and possible explanations for how increased online activity can sometimes lead to violent crime.

Ads follow you around the internet through technology called 'cookies.'

A technology called "cookies" enables advertisers to essentially team up and follow your behavior around on the internet. This video explains why it seems like ads seem to follow you as you go from website to website—as well as data privacy advocates' war against cookies.