The deep web has gotten a very bad reputation over the years, as most people see this as a part of the internet only sued by criminals. While it is true the deep web is home to nefarious activities and services, there are plenty of legal use cases to use the non-indexed part of the internet as well. That being said, it will take a lot of work before people will start to see the darknet as a valuable tool, rather than something to avoid altogether.
#5 Privacy Reasons
The most obvious reason to use the deep web is for privacy reasons. Accessing the deep web requires anonymity software such as the Tor Browser. With users remaining anonymous at all times – assuming they don’t spill personal information on the deep web – it is not hard to see why this solution is so appealing. Keeping one online activity private from third parties is not illegal. In fact, it is almost becoming a must for every internet user around the world these days.
#4 Undercover Law Enforcement Operations
As most people are well aware of, there is a growing number of criminals active on the darknet. Law enforcement agencies, including the FBI, CIA, Scotland Yard, and others are well aware of this situation. They attempt to infiltrate darknet marketplaces and forums to conduct sting operations and arrest people related to these crime rings. Additionally, the darknet is also used to keep governmental IP addresses out of weblogs, as those would be easy to trace back to the source.
#3 Security Research
As we have mentioned in multiple malware and ransomware articles in the past, security researchers always get their hands of malicious software samples. Do not be mistaken in thinking they let devices get infected to take a closer look at this software, though. In most cases, they scour the darknet as a source of information and even purchase malware samples directly from the developers to start analyzing the code.
Although this may not sound like the most legitimate use case for the deep web, there is nothing illegal about it. It is unfortunate this malware is distributed over the darknet in the first place, but in the world of security researchers, one has to fight fire with fire. If that means going to the well to obtain the latest threat and reverse engineer it so a solution can be created, then that is exactly what needs to be done.
#2 Circumventing Governmental Restrictions
In the Western world, it only seems normal we can access Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram. In a lot of other countries, however, that is not possible. Oppressive regimes restrict access to specific platforms. It is possible to access all of the internet’s platforms through the onion router as well, as a lot of people use this solution to access Facebook on a daily basis. Moreover, it is an effective way to bypass any censorship restrictions imposed by a government or regime.
#1 Protecting Whistleblowers and Sources
In the world of media, journalists often have sources they can rely on to receive new information. In some cases, that information could be so sensitive it is better not to rely on publicly sued communication tools. The darknet provides an excellent alternative, as it allows all parties to remain anonymous and protect their identities. With governments and service providers keeping records of all online communication, the darknet provides a solution where no one can monitor what is being said.
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