The surface web, deep web, and dark web in contrast The darknet enables users to access dark web content, which is often illegal in nature. (more) darknet Internet network Actions Share Share Share to social media Facebook X URL https://www.britannica.com/technology/darknet-Internet Share Share Share to social media Facebook X URL https://www.britannica.com/technology/darknet-Internet Also known as: dark net Written by Jacob Stovall Jacob Stovall is a freelance contributor at Encyclopedia Britannica, with a focus on the arts, humanities, and social sciences. Jacob Stovall Fact-checked by The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica Encyclopaedia Britannica's editors oversee subject areas in which they have extensive knowledge, whether from years of experience gained by working on that content or via study for an advanced degree. They write new content and verify and edit content received from contributors. The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica Last Updated: Oct 31, 2024 • Article History Table of Contents Also known as: dark net (Show more) Ask the Chatbot a Question Ask the Chatbot a Question darknet, encrypted network within the Internet that can be accessed only by specialty software or certain software configurations. Darknets may be small and intended just for groups of friends or much larger, like the popular Tor network. Darknet services allow users to remain anonymous online and are often, but not always, associated with illegal activity. However, the term broadly refers to any private file-sharing network that is not accessible by standard search engines. 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 ...(100 of 660 words)

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