The dark web, as we know it today, traces its origins back to the early 2000s. It all began with the release of Freenet, a project developed by Ian Clarke, a student at the University of Edinburgh. Clarke’s goal was to create a decentralized system for storing and retrieving information while maintaining anonymity. This laid the foundation for the Tor Project, which was launched in 2002 and introduced a browser in 2008.
Tor, short for “The Onion Router,” enabled users to browse the internet anonymously and access sites that were part of the dark web. Originally developed by the United States Department of Defense for secure communication, the dark web has evolved into a global platform for anonymous online activities. People use it for both legal and illegal purposes.
The dark web utilizes a technology called “onion routing,” which protects users from surveillance and tracking. When accessing a site through Tor, the user’s information is routed through a network of encrypted servers, making it extremely difficult to trace their browsing activities.
However, the concept of an anonymous online communications network predates the creation of the dark web. In the 1960s, the formation of ARPANET, an experimental computer network, laid the groundwork for what would eventually become the dark web. ARPANET was initially developed to share information over long distances without relying on traditional phone connections.
Over the years, ARPANET evolved into a more robust network, with the military recognizing its potential during the Cold War. The Advanced Research Projects Agency (ARPA), a branch of the U.S. Defense Department, funded ARPANET to link computers at research institutions. While primarily used by academia, ARPANET also facilitated the first illegal online transaction in the early 1970s, highlighting its experimental nature.
In 1983, ARPANET split into two parts: MILNET for military and defense agencies, and a civilian version that formed the basis for the Internet. This paved the way for the development of the dark web and its subsequent growth.
In conclusion, the dark web originated in the early 2000s with the release of Freenet and the subsequent development of Tor. However, its roots can be traced back to the creation of ARPANET in the 1960s. The dark web has since become a platform for anonymous online activities, offering both legal and illegal services.
