The Deep Web and the Darknet: A Look Inside the Internet's Massive Black Box

Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars, STIP 03, October 2015

Ohio State Public Law Working Paper No. 314

20 Pages Posted: 21 Oct 2015

See all articles by Dakota S. Rudesill

Dakota S. Rudesill

Ohio State University (OSU) - Michael E. Moritz College of Law

James Caverlee

Texas A&M University

Daniel Sui

Ohio State University (OSU)

Date Written: October 20, 2015

Abstract

Many believe a Google search can identify most of the information available on the Internet on a given subject. But there is an entire online world – a massive one – beyond the reach of Google or any other search engine. Policymakers should take a cue from prosecutors – who just convicted one of its criminal masterminds – and start giving it some attention.

The scale of the Internet’s underworld is immense. The number of non-indexed web sites, known as the Deep Web, is estimated to be 400 to 500 times larger than the surface web of indexed, searchable web sites. And the Deep Web is where the dark side of the Internet flourishes. While there are plenty of law-abiding citizens and well-intentioned individuals (such as journalists, political dissidents, and whistleblowers) who conduct their online activities below the surface, the part of the Deep Web known as the Darknet has become a haven for regulatory evasion, crime, and threats to national security.

This policy brief outlines what the Deep Web and Darknet are, how they are accessed, and why we should care about them. For policymakers, the continuing growth of the Deep Web in general and the accelerated expansion of the Darknet in particular pose new policy challenges. The response to these challenges may have profound implications for civil liberties, national security, and the global economy at large.

Keywords: computer crime, internet, deep web, darknet, law of war, law of armed conflict, regulation, geography, Tor, Silk Road, national security, cyberlaw, cyber crime, cyber security, cyber war

JEL Classification: K14, K30, K33, K4, K42

Suggested Citation

Rudesill, Dakota S. and Caverlee, James and Sui, Daniel, The Deep Web and the Darknet: A Look Inside the Internet's Massive Black Box (October 20, 2015). Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars, STIP 03, October 2015, Ohio State Public Law Working Paper No. 314, Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=2676615 or http://dx.doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.2676615

Dakota S. Rudesill (Contact Author)

Ohio State University (OSU) - Michael E. Moritz College of Law ( email )

55 West 12th Avenue
Columbus, OH 43210
United States

James Caverlee

Texas A&M University ( email )

Langford Building A
798 Ross St.
College Station, TX 77843-3137
United States

Daniel Sui

Ohio State University (OSU) ( email )

Blankenship Hall-2010
901 Woody Hayes Drive
Columbus, OH OH 43210
United States

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