Best .onion Sites on the Internet

To be clear, you can’t find these sites by running a quick Google search since most search engines don’t index these sites. The dark web is part of the deep web, and you’ll find it within layered proxy networks that are also called darknets.

BY: Colin Aulds To access .onion, also called ‘tor’ sites, you’ll need to use a darknet, like Tor. Tor, developed by the Navy, is the largest darknet, and its name is actually an acronym for ‘the onion router.’

Screenshot of Torproject.org
Torproject.org – Homepage

In exchange for that small bit of fancy footwork to access a darknet, you’ll mostly avoid being tracked by ISPs or government entities. If you go one step further to access Tor sites with a secure VPN and additional encryption, you should be able to do an even better job of covering your internet tracks.

Warning: Be warned, however, that there’s plenty of dangerous, unregulated activity on the dark web. As you look through it, make sure that you do so carefully.

Privacy and anonymity also make this an ideal terrain for illicit activities like buying and selling drugs, weapons, or hiring a hit man. Plenty of cybercriminals who are eager to snatch your data lurk in the shadows of the dark web, so be careful.

The last thing you want to do is cruise the dark web, click on a corrupted link, and pick up malware, for example.
Digital crime by an anonymous hacker

Now that you properly understand what you’re getting into when you hop on Tor sites, here are some places that may pique your interest.

1. The Hidden Wiki

The Hidden Wiki is a great place to begin your search on the dark web. It’s a community-edited wiki full of site indexes that is one of the oldest link directories on the dark web.

Screenshot of Thehiddenwiki.org
The Hidden Wiki

Here, you’ll find all of the essential .onion links to sources and services found on the dark web. Spend some time pouring over articles, guides, or conspiracy theories. You’ll encounter anything from drug marketplaces to financial services and everything in between.

Warning: As with all things dark web, exercise caution. Some of those links will lead to dead ends or worse, send you headfirst into scams or other questionable (illegal) activities.

There are several spin-off sites with similar names that you should take care to avoid, too.

2. DuckDuckGo

As previously mentioned, Google isn’t well suited for searching the dark web. Instead, use DuckDuckGo, one of the better search engines on the dark web, to find what you’re looking for.

Screenshot of DuckDuckGo.com
DuckDuckGo

This secure, anonymous search engine doesn’t log any of your search activity. But even though DuckDuckGo doesn’t record (or share) your search history or obtain access to your email like Google does, DuckDuckGo is able to consistently provide quick, reliable, and private results.

3. Dread

This Tor website is essentially the dark web equivalent of major online forums like Quora or Reddit. When you access it, you will be placed in a queue to get in. Once inside, you will likely be forced to pass a (pretty difficult) bot check, similar to a captcha but more annoying. It might take you a couple of tries, but eventually, you’ll get in.

Screenshot of dread tor website
Dread Forums

Here, you can ask and answer a pretty wide variety of topics and get honest answers that would only be shared with the protection offered by the ultimate privacy and anonymity of the dark web.

Warning: Expect some creepy, off-the-wall questions like, “Would you cryo-freeze your head after death?” all the way to some pretty suspicious activity.

Mostly, expect to see questions and answers about anything from torrenting websites to help hiring a hitman.

4. Facebook

Yep, you read that right. Facebook has an official .onion mirror site that’s worth a look. Of course, Facebook doesn’t have the best track record when it comes to online privacy, so proceed with care.

Screenshot of Facebook.com
Facebook

Unfortunately, you shouldn’t expect total privacy from Facebook — they can still monitor how you interact with their site through your account, even if you go through the trouble of creating one on the dark web.

Info: Facebook created this version of the site primarily to help people who live in countries where free speech is restricted. The dark-web version helps people collaborate securely and communicate freely, and it also helps minimize any form of opposition from those countries.

Using the dark-web version of Facebook will help keep your online activities away from government spies and protect you from censorship.

MORE….   BY: Colin Aulds 

Photo: Butts Ashley Kaltwasser
American model