The Dark Web is widely considered a lawless criminal haven, but the reality is more nuanced.

Myth: The Dark Web is synonymous with the Deep Web and is a vast, entirely illegal part of the internet.

Reality: The Dark Web is a small, intentionally hidden subset of the larger Deep Web (unindexed content like email inboxes). While it facilitates illegal marketplaces for drugs and stolen data, it is also a vital platform for legitimate purposes. Journalists, whistleblowers, and political dissidents use anonymizing software like Tor to bypass censorship and communicate securely, upholding privacy and freedom of speech. Anonymity is not absolute, as law enforcement actively monitors and has successfully infiltrated darknets.