What is Darknet?

July 2, 2025

The Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) recently said its Kochi zonal unit busted “India’s most prolific darknet drug syndicate” operating under the name “Ketamelon”.

About Darknet:

  • Darknet refers to a segment of the internet that is accessible only through advanced protocols designed to provide user anonymity and security.
  • Unlike the surface web, which can be easily accessed using standard search engines and web browsers, darknet content is not indexed and requires specialized tools, such as privacy-focused browsers like Tor, to access.
    • Tor (The Onion Router) is free and open-source software for enabling anonymous communication.
    • Tor utilizes a method known as onion routing, which anonymizes users by routing their connections through multiple volunteer-operated servers, making it difficult to trace their actual IP
  • The concept of the darknet is closely related to the dark web, but the terms are not entirely interchangeable.
  • The dark web is the content found on darknet networks.
  • “Darknet” and “dark web” are also often incorrectly used interchangeably with “deep web.”
    • The deep web encompasses everything not indexed by conventional search engines but may still be accessed through regular web browsers if the URL is known.
    • The darknet represents a deeper layer of the web, hosting content that is intentionally hidden and only reachable by a select group of users.
  • Darknet also includes friend-to-friend (F2F) networks that allow secure, private communications among known individuals.
  • While darknet technologies can provide a means for users to bypass censorship and maintain privacy in their online activities, they are also associated with illegal activities such as the trade of illicit goods and services.

Latest Current Affairs

See All

Enquire Now