The deep web was built to serve as a database for public and private sector information that cannot be accessed through Google. However, it has also been used to sell disturbing and illegal pornography a part of the hidden internet called the dark web.
In this article, we will introduce you to the disturbing realities of deep web porn. We will also shed light on why this type of (mostly) illegal pornography is able to thrive on the dark web.
Digging Deep Into Deep Web Porn
The dark web has been under scrutiny in the past few years due to the high amount of illegal activity that takes place on it.
The dark web works for regular folks who want to keep their identity hidden from unwanted surveillance and monitoring, like journalists, dissidents, and whistle-blowers who wish to share confidential information from exile or for folks who need the dossier of questionable characters in the society.
However, a part of the dark web is dedicated to criminal activities, such as scamming, selling illegal products, hacking, and terrorism. Arguably, the most criminal activity on the dark web, however, is the sale of illegal pornography.
The sad reality is that dark web porn, such as child pornography, is only a few clicks away if you are looking. Aside from been repulsive and gruesome, child pornography is also illegal.
Clampdown on Dark Web Porn
Fortunately, law enforcement agencies are targeting illegal pornography on the dark web. A report from NBC News details the take-down of “Welcome To Video,” one of the biggest child porn marketplaces on the dark web. The now-closed down English-language site was said to have contained more than 200,000 unique videos displaying sex acts involving children, toddlers and infants, and it has processed 7,300 bitcoin transactions.
The report said that users could buy videos using cryptocurrency and also pay for an annual membership, which was priced at 0.03 BTC. Subscribers on the site scored points for uploading new videos or by inviting new members.
The site only allowed child sexual abuse imagery, which further emphasized the depravity of its owners. The landing page was said to have on it: “Do not upload adult porn.”
The result of the take-down included the arrest and sentencing of the mastermind, Jong Woo Son, and other 300+ users of the site, and a total shutdown of the porn site.
Moreover, in February 2015, police in the Philippines arrested Australian Peter Scully. They charged him with the creation and distribution of child pornography, which he sold via pay-per-view channels to a global pedophile ring operating on the dark web.
One of the most horrific videos that was allegedly produced is called Daisy’s Destruction. Police who saw the video called it “the worst we have encountered in our years of campaigning against child pornography”.
While it’s good to hear law that the authorities are working to catch the operators and users of these platforms, there’s the fear that several other deep web porn sites of this kind exist.
Why Does Illegal Porn Thrive on the Dark Web?
The “Welcome To Video” pornography site reportedly ran solely on the dark web. Why did they choose to hang out on the dark web instead of the surface web? That’s because the dark web is a section of the internet designed to protect people’s digital footprints.
Though some of these activities do take place on the surface web, the high degree of anonymity afforded by the Tor network and cryptocurrencies makes it a perfect place for criminals.
You might say shutting down the dark web could solve all these issues. However, it must be noted that merely accessing the dark web is not a crime. Journalists, activists, and political dissidents around the world use the dark web to exchange information privately.
Law enforcement officials have also been able to use the dark web as a honeypot to trap criminals.