Dark Web not particularly liked by users, 7 in 10 People Want It Shut Down, Study ShowsBut what is the dark web?
The Canadian think tank the Center for International Governance Innovation released the results of a survey of more than 24,000 individuals in 24 countries, asking their opinion of the dark web—the collection of anonymous web sites that can only be accessed via tools like the anonymity software Tor. The results were a bit surprising even for the sceptics, 71 percent of the respondents—and 72 percent of Americans in particular—said they believed the “dark net” should be shut down. “The basic perception is that it’s not a good thing,” says Eric Jardine, a CIGI fellow who specializes in research on the dark web and Tor. “For your average Joe or Jane, the dark web is not perceived as a very useful technology, and in fact it’s seen as harmful.” You have to give it some thought because many of those surveyed did not know what the dark web is. The poll, titled the 2016 CIGI-Ipsos Global Survey on Internet Security and Trust, found that 36% of respondents felt strongly that the dark web should shut down. Meanwhile 35% of the respondents said that they agree somewhat with the notion that the dark web should shut down.
But what is the dark web?
The dark web, which is part of the deep web, is a hitherto unknown area for normal users and only accessible by specialized tools like Tor anonymous browser. Though the dark web is meant to be a safe haven for whistleblowers, journalists, dissidents, political victims, asylum seekers and privacy lovers, over the years it has gained reputation for hosting all the ills of the world. The dark web is widely known to be a den of iniquity, with hacking and drug trading taking place across the world – beyond the law enforcement’s purview. One of the worst offenders on the dark web are pedophile website.
