How Dark is the Dark Web? Examinations on the Purpose of Tor and Dark Web Usage

• In Event: Policing Hacking: Vulnerability, Securitisation, and Criminalisation

Abstract

There have been hundreds, if not thousands, of studies conducted concerning the Tor Browser and Dark Web in general. However, many of these studies focus on the effects of the Dark Web rather than the issue of accessibility to the Dark Web and its harmful forums, blogs, and marketplaces. Previous studies have scrubbed Dark Web forums to find connections between illicit drug purchases and personal life values versus their life online (Harviainen, et al., 2020) or detail pitfalls and side effects of Dark Web accessibility in a wholly negative light (Davis and Arrigo, 2021). To date, there is little research examining the use of the Tor browser and the Dark Web with a comprehensive approach. In this light, this research examines the effects of unbridled access to the Dark Web through the Tor browser and its effects on individuals’ behaviors, specifically as it relates to users’ willingness to engage in Dark Web activities as a form of protection of their home countries. Through the use of a survey and browsing history collected via Wireshark, this research highlights the spectrum of Tor Browser and Dark Web usage. Studying this issue is beneficial for areas of cybersecurity and foreign and national policy

Author

• Emily K Smith, University of Alabama