The Dark Web: An Overview (CRS Report for Congress)
| Release Date |
Revised Dec. 2, 2024 |
| Report Number |
IF12172 |
| Report Type |
In Focus |
| Authors |
Kristin Finklea |
| Source Agency |
Congressional Research Service |
| Older Revisions |
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Summary:
Many observers of the World Wide Web (web) have
described it as having layers. One layer, the surface web,
contains indexed content easily accessible with a traditional
search engine such as Google. Another layer, the deep web,
contains unindexed content that cannot be accessed with a
simple Google search. Within the deep web is a segment
known as the dark web—a layer where content is
intentionally concealed. The dark web may be used for
legitimate purposes as well as to conceal criminal or
otherwise malicious activities. It is the exploitation of the
dark web for illegal practices that has garnered particular
interest from law enforcement officials and policymakers.
Many consider the internet and web to be synonymous;
they are not. The web is just one portion of the internet, and
a medium through which information may be accessed.
(The internet is also used for email, file transfers, and direct
messaging, among other things.)
• Within the web, one portion is known as the surface
web, comprised of content that has been indexed and is
accessible through traditional search engines such as
Google.
• Another portion of the web is the deep web, which
contains content that has not been indexed and thus is
not accessible through traditional search engines. This
includes content on private intranets (internal networks
such as those at corporations, government agencies, or
universities), and commercial databases like Westlaw.
Accessing this content often requires authentication (i.e.,
verification of the user’s identity) and permission to
access the content.
• Within the deep web is the dark web, the segment of the
deep web that has been intentionally hidden. It refers to
internet sites that users generally cannot access without
using special software. While the content of these sites
may be accessed using this software, publishers of these
sites are often concealed. Users access the dark web
with the expectation of being able to share information
and/or files with little risk of detection.
