Dark Net
The 56th DGP and IGP conference was conducted at the Police Headquarters in Lucknow over three days.
PM Modi also attended the conference, where he gave a presentation on the usage of Darknet and the issues it poses.
Since 2014, the DGP/IGP conference has been held outside Delhi, with the PM and Home Minister leading the deliberation. The conference is organised by the Intelligence Bureau.
The Dark Net, often known as the dark web, is a maze of secret websites that can only be accessed via encrypted methods. In other terms, it is a secret network of websites that can only be accessed with a specialised web browser.
It is also used to keep online activity secret and anonymous, which may be useful in both legal and unlawful situations.
How It Operates?
The Onion Router (ToR) is used to operate the dark web in secret. Tor is a free and open-source programme that allows users to communicate anonymously. It’s an Internet-based technology that protects against eavesdropping and traffic analysis. Darknet is difficult to infiltrate, according to experts, due to its end-to-end encryption. Access to the darknet is only feasible with specialist browsers such as Tor, Freenet, I2P, and Tails, which allow users to surf the darknet anonymously.
The privacy-centric browser like Tor routes the web page requests through proxy servers thus making your IP address untraceable.
Dark Web vs. Deep Web
One thing that both the dark and deep web has in common is that neither can be found in search engine results.
The main distinction between them is how their material is accessible.
Deep web sites can be viewed by anybody who knows the URL and has a regular web browser. They are not indexed by Google or other search engines.
Dark web pages, on the other hand, need specialised software, as well as access permissions and knowledge of where to discover the information.
Use of Dark Net
People may use the dark web to search the internet without leaving a digital trail or worrying about being tracked. As a result of its capacity to guarantee anonymity, the website has become a sanctuary for criminals engaged in many types of illegal activity.
Darknet has evolved into a clandestine marketplace for the sale and acquisition of a wide range of illegal goods, including narcotics, weapons, pornographic content, and other unlawful activities.
LSD (lysergic acid diethylamide, commonly known as lysergide, a dangerous synthetic hallucinogenic drug) was acquired on the dark web using bitcoins in at least two occurrences in 2017 — in Chennai and Mumbai.
With the rise of crypto currencies such as bitcoin, the situation becomes more problematic. Criminals use crypto currencies to conduct transactions because they leave no evidence of where the money was sent or where it came from.
This is also used by those who need anonymity for completely legitimate purposes, such as the exchange of confidential business information or political activist communication.
Law enforcement and threat intelligence organisations are two ethical uses for the dark web.
These specialists could look for evidence of cybersecurity or data breaches, criminal behaviour, frauds, or other new concerns on the dark web.
Legality of Accessing the Dark Web in India
In India, accessing the dark web is legal. Because it is just another portion of the internet that one is accessing, whether through TOR, Freenet, or other means, the Indian government does not consider it unlawful. In addition, under Article 21 of the Indian Constitution, we have the right to access the Internet.
This does not, however, imply that one is free to do anything one wishes. Various acts, such as child pornography, the purchase of firearms, pistols, rifles, and narcotics, are deemed prohibited. As a result, the dark web is not prohibited. However, when surfing the dark web, a person’s conduct or purpose is taken into consideration.