Dark Web

ARPANET, an experimental computer network, was established in the 1960s as a precursor to the Internet and eventually the dark web.

In the early 1970s, Stanford students utilized ARPANET accounts to conduct the first illegal online transaction, involving the commercial exchange of marijuana with students from MIT.

In March 2000, software developer Ian Clarke launched Freenet, a groundbreaking software providing anonymous access to the deep web, enabling users to find content ranging from illicit materials like child pornography to guides on creating explosives. Clarke described Freenet as a form of near-perfect anarchy, challenging companies attempting to curb free file-sharing.

In June 2000, libertarian cyberpunks Ryan Lackey and Sean Hastings establish HavenCo on Sealand, a self-proclaimed independent state on a sea fort off the British coast. The company aims to provide secure hosting services for data, excluding illegal activities.

Researchers at the U.S. Naval Research Laboratory introduce an early version of Tor, a software that hides users' location and IP address. Initially created to safeguard the identities of American operatives and dissidents in oppressive regimes like China, Tor gains popularity among darknet users.

In 2004, the U.S. government made Tor open source and funded its maintenance through a nonprofit named the Tor Project. This move aimed to expand the use of Tor for anonymity online.

Wired magazine reports that the 'media darknet' circulates over 500,000 movies daily. With the rise in bandwidth, this underground network sees a surge in copyright violations, ranging from major films to software like Microsoft Office. A study by IDC reveals that software piracy leads to a $34 billion loss for businesses globally in 2005.

In 2006, the US Naval Research Laboratories transferred the control of Tor to a group of volunteers at the Tor Project. The purpose of Tor was to create a decentralized and censorship-resistant platform for communication and information sharing.

In 2008, Tor's creators started developing the Tor browser to address the platform's complexity and make it more user-friendly.

In June 1, 2011, a Gawker-affiliated blog reveals details about Silk Road, a secretive online marketplace known for facilitating the trade of illegal drugs using Bitcoin on the dark web.

In March 2012, Russian hacker Yevgeniy Nikulin and accomplices stole passwords for 117 million e-mail addresses from LinkedIn, offering the data for sale on the dark web. This incident highlighted the dark web's role in the sale of stolen information.

On August 1, 2013, Irish authorities conducted a raid on the Dublin apartment of Eric Eoin Marques, who was identified by the FBI as 'the largest facilitator of child porn on the planet.' This event was part of a larger operation that involved the shutdown of parts of the darknet and the exploitation of a Firefox browser breach to identify Tor users.

On October 1, 2013, the FBI closed down the online black market Silk Road and apprehended Ross William Ulbricht, also known as Dread Pirate Roberts, for allegedly orchestrating the illicit operation. The site had generated over $1.2 billion in sales from 2011 to 2013, as per a U.S. federal court indictment.

Playpen was established in August 2014 and became the most infamous darknet platform for child pornography.

A study in December 2014 found that the most commonly hosted content on Tor included child pornography, black markets, botnet operations, whistleblowing sites, and political discussion forums.

The indie game Sad Satan was reviewed by YouTubers Obscure Horror Corner, claiming to have found it via the dark web. However, various inconsistencies in the reporting cast doubt on the events.

A study in February 2016 by researchers at King's College London provided a breakdown of content on .onion services, highlighting the illicit use of such services.

In July 2016, passwords for roughly 200 million Yahoo! accounts appeared for sale on the dark web. This event underscored the dark web's involvement in the illicit trade of sensitive data.

A presentation at the March 2017 BSides Vancouver Security Conference discussing security practices on Tor's hidden services.

In April 2017, the Tor Project announced a transition to using Rust code developed by the makers of Firefox, moving away from its previous reliance on C and C++ software. This shift aimed to enhance security and align Tor more closely with new Firefox editions.

In July 2017, Roger Dingledine, a founder of the Tor Project, mentioned that Facebook is the biggest hidden service on the dark web, comprising only 3% of the traffic in the Tor network.

In August 2017, cybersecurity firms monitoring the dark web routinely shared their findings with the FBI and other law enforcement agencies regarding illegal content.

DeepDotWeb, a specialist Clearweb news site providing news coverage and practical information about dark web sites and services, was shut down by authorities in 2019.

The dark web has evolved with a focus on security, privacy, and usability. It provides a secure environment for internet users concerned about surveillance and enables whistleblowers to expose high-profile cases.