Today, the Internet is a part of our everyday life. Social media, online shopping, banking – everything is done with a single click. But do you know that there is a face of the Internet that was never shown to the world? This was the real beginning of the place, which we know today as the Dark Web.
The Early World Of the Internet
In the 1990s, the Internet was new to the general public. At that time, it was considered only a research and communication tool. People used to send emails, read research papers, and talk to their friends in chat rooms. But during this period, some people were moving towards such networks about which the general public had no information.
Systems like BBS (Bulletin Board System) and FidoNet were part of those days. These were not open platforms that you could easily access. Here, people used to talk by hiding their identity, share files, and even do some things that were considered illegal at that time.
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The Beginning Of The Hidden World
While others were using the Internet for fun and information, some people were using the Internet differently. They bypassed security systems, communicated anonymously, and shared their dark secrets.
This is where the side of the Internet was born that we never saw before. At that time, no one had much technical knowledge, nor were there any rules and regulations. The result was that gradually, the way for illegal activities opened on this platform.
The Language of Encryption
In the late 90s, another thing started developing rapidly with the Internet – encryption. Earlier, passwords were used only to keep files or accounts safe. But soon people realized that if messages and transactions were encrypted, it would be almost impossible to track them.
This encryption became a secret door through which the real world of the dark web began. Now people could hide their messages, deals, and entire identity. One good aspect of this was privacy. But on the other hand, it started being used for drug dealing, illegal trade, and crime.
Tor and the Dark Web
The Tor Project was launched in 2002. Its real purpose was to give people freedom of speech and to allow them to express themselves on the Internet without fear. But soon it started being used for illegal purposes as well.
Through the Tor browser, people used to visit sites whose names ended with “.onion“. These sites were not found on search engines like Google or Yahoo. They could only be accessed through special networks.
After 2009, this place became even more notorious when an online black market called Silk Road emerged. Here, drugs, fake passports, hacked credit cards – everything was sold, and payment was made only in bitcoins.
The new world of crime
The dark web was not limited to just buying or selling goods. A whole network of forums, chat rooms, and services was created here. There were discussions of hitman services, arms trade, and even live torture streams.
The internet, which we always thought of as an open platform, had a much more dangerous hidden face. There were no rules, no identity, and no tracking.
The birth of cybercrime
The real era of cybercrime began in the late 90s and early 2000s. People began to understand for the first time that their passwords could be stolen, their bank accounts could be looted without a gun, and their systems could be hacked in just a few clicks.
Some hackers exposed the secrets of governments and corporate companies. Some crashed large networks to show power.
A hacker named Kevin Mitnick was declared most wanted by the FBI because he had shown that humans are the weakest link in cybersecurity.
At the same time, a 15-year-old boy called MafiaBoy brought down big websites like CNN and Yahoo.
The question is still the same.
The dark web did not start suddenly one day. It was born with the gradual development of the Internet. Encryption, anonymity, and privacy strengthened it.
But the real question is still the same – was it for privacy and freedom of speech or just for crime and illegal activities?
The dark web still exists today. There are still black markets, hacking forums, and countless illegal activities going on here. The only difference is that all this is more hidden.
Friends, we always think of the Internet as a light, but there is a deep, dark world in its shadow. The dark web started with the Internet, and it is still there today – just hidden from the eyes of common people.
This story teaches us that every technology has two aspects: one that takes us forward and the other that takes us into darkness. The dark web reminds us of the same darkness that is hidden behind the shiny surface of the Internet.
This was the story of the dark web, from its inception to the present day.
My name is Farhad Dawar and I am graduate of the Institute of Media and Communication Studies Bahaddin Zakariya University Multan Pakistan. I’m passionate about journalism and media, and I believe in journalism of courage, uncovering the truth, and shaping the future.
- Farhad Dawarhttps://dawartimes.com/author/admin/
- Farhad Dawarhttps://dawartimes.com/author/admin/
- Farhad Dawarhttps://dawartimes.com/author/admin/
- Farhad Dawarhttps://dawartimes.com/author/admin/
