I found their technical explanations clear and well-researched, though the site updates less frequently than other news platforms. Without further ado, let’s take a look at some of the best tor and onion links for you to check out, in no particular order. His articles have appeared in many respected technology publications.
Riseup’s services can be accessed on the surface web or via Tor websites if users want to protect their anonymity. The CIA (Central Intelligence Agency) provides a .onion version of its website, enabling individuals to bypass restrictions to access its content from anywhere. This platform allows visitors to anonymously explore the World Factbook, submit information, apply for jobs, and perform any other actions available on the CIA’s main site. The Hidden Wiki is the dark web’s unofficial Wikipedia, where you can find “.onion” links for many dark web pages, services, and other content. The Hidden Wiki doesn’t discriminate, so if you randomly start diving into the onion sites listed, you may come across objectionable or dangerous material. OnionLand functions as both a dark web search engine and a deep web search engine, offering a smooth user experience and access to thousands of hidden services.
Join Our Newsletter
Since Tor has to pass your traffic through several nodes, it will slightly slow your speeds. You can use the Smart Location feature for the fastest connections. On top of that, the provider offers perfect forward secrecy (PFS). Most likely, the native account on your device has full admin permissions by default. Many malware take advantage of this vulnerability to launch an attack. Therefore, you can prevent this exploitation by setting up a non-admin account.
Facebook’s onion mirror allows people to access it in countries that block the platform, allowing people to connect across digital borders. That said, the social network’s data collection and tracking practices may seem at odds with many of the principles motivating dark web users. Concerns about how Meta treats user data have led many people to delete their Facebook profiles or at least limit their social media presence. The dark web is shrouded in mystery, but not every onion website is dangerous. But before we start, install Norton VPN to help protect your digital identity and stay safer online.
- It filters out harmful and illegal content, focusing on legitimate resources and services.
- Taking the necessary precautions makes tracing your activities on the dark web difficult.
- ProPublica has a reputation for unwavering investigative journalism.
- Unless you know where you’re going, there’s always some risk connected to clicking on dark web search engine links.
Navigating Results Safely

Activists and government critics prefer to remain anonymous, fearing repercussions if their identities are revealed. Besides, victims of crime may want to hide their identities from their perpetrators. Nonetheless, if whatever you do is deemed illegal in your country, you can get into trouble.
Should I Only Use A VPN To Access The Dark Web?

Nowadays, many people use the Tor browser to surf the public internet and navigate the deeper parts anonymously. The creators assert that because their technique is so strong, even malware with root access could not determine the machine’s IP address. I2P, or the Invisible Internet Project, allows you to access the ordinary and dark web. Specifically, the I2P darknet is accessible, while the Tor network is accessible through the Orchid Outproxy Tor plugin.
- However, there are plenty of legal and legitimate online activities that require privacy and anonymity.
- This makes it significantly more challenging for anyone to trace your activity back to you.
- A budget-friendly VPN service allowing users to access dark web safely anytime, anywhere, and on any number of devices they want.
- BlackCloud offers encrypted file storage specifically optimized for the Tor network.
- The CIA is contactable on the dark web, providing a completely anonymous way to get in touch with them.
- Because it’s a members-only platform, you’ll need to register first.
A study by researchers at King’s College London that examined the contents of over 2,700 darknet sites found that approximately 60% of them hosted illicit content. The dark web and the deep web are often used interchangeably, but they’re two distinct concepts. Onion sites (aka Tor sites) are websites only accessible on the dark web; you can’t view them using a regular browser. Their URLs (aka dark web links) have .onion as the domain, instead of the common surface web domains like .com or .net. Set Tor Browser’s security level to “Safest” for critical dark web activity. This disables potentially dangerous features like JavaScript that could reveal your identity.
Why Is Tor So Slow?

The onion site is especially beneficial for people in regions with heavy censorship or restricted access to media. Torch is one of the oldest dark web search engines, and it’s generally considered one of the safest. It has some advertisements on its home page, but they’re for popular searches and services to help get you started. It has indexed more than 1.5 billion pages from over 260,000 .onion websites, so you’ll easily be able to find what you’re looking for. Ahmia is a search engine for .onion sites — you search for a keyword and Ahmia retrieves relevant results. I tested it 10+ times, and it always provided me with accurate search results.
Android users need to download the Tor Browser app, while iPhone fans should get the Onion Browser app. That’s why it’s important to verify links through trusted directories and proceed with caution. Fortunately, you can’t just stumble onto dark web websites by accident. While the best dark web sites listed above are a good starting point for a safe, legal surfing experience on Tor, there really is no substitute for a VPN. ZeroBin is an attractive option for anyone looking to share sensitive information without compromising privacy.
More Security Articles
The good news is that the BBC Onion site is an international edition. As a result, it not only focuses on the UK but also provides worldwide news. SecureDrop is a dark web link that allows whistleblowers on the dark web to communicate and share information with journalists safely and without being tracked. The social media giant is also aware of the many attempts by repressive regimes to restrict its access.

What Is The onion URL For Torch?
Many prominent media sources and journalists maintain a presence on this website location to securely accept documents from anonymous senders. These include big names, such as Al Jazeera, CBC, Forbes, Huffington Post, The New York Times, and many more. Yippy is a search engine that started in 2009, since then it has evolved.
The service emphasizes privacy with zero-knowledge encryption and no registration requirements. My tests showed reliable performance for smaller files, but larger transfers can be slow due to Tor’s limitations. Pitch is a dark web-based Twitter/X alternative, providing a secure platform for anonymous discussions and information sharing. Unlike many dark web platforms, it maintains strict content guidelines while protecting user privacy.

As I’ve mentioned, the dark web isn’t just a place of eternal torment, teeming with drug dealers, human traffickers, and a hitman. It’s also used by journalists, advocacy group members, and political refugees in hiding. Reuters, Fox, NBC, CNN – all of them keep open dark web channels to receive anonymous tips from whistleblowers. Although content on the dark web is not as ‘indexed’ compared to the one on the clear web, you can still use search engines to find stuff. The deep web is just the part of the internet you can’t find with a search engine.
Here’s a clear overview of four trusted search engines that can help you navigate the hidden corners of the internet. The dark web hosts a wide range of sites — from whistleblower tools and secure email platforms to underground forums, black markets, and dark web mirrors of legitimate news outlets. Unfortunately, many dark web websites are devoted to the illegal trade of leaked personal information. If you’ve ever experienced an uptick in phishing attacks and spam after a data leak or breach, it may be because your personal information has been posted to the dark web. On the dark web, traffic is routed through multiple server nodes that don’t log activity, obscuring the user’s origin and enabling anonymous communication.
Please exercise extreme caution following onion links from these websites, though, as the dark web can be very dark indeed. This provides convenience, as it allows you to access onion websites using your regular browser. However, you should use Tor Browser if anonymity is a high priority. The dark web, which is what I’m discussing here, is a small subset of the deep web, and refers to websites that are specifically trying to stay out of sight. That is why in 2006 they created “the most private search engine in the world”, which does not record, track, or share your personal data.