Despite rising cybersecurity risks, an increasing number of digital attacks, and legal operations conducted by federal authorities like the FBI and CIA, the number of dark web users and illegal markets are increasing steadily. It is understandable that using the dark web is not illegal itself but taking part in illegal activities while using the dark web is illegal.
And unfortunately, the majority of users use this side of the web just to fulfil their immoral or illegal desires. From buying unprescribed medications, drugs, guns to using illicit services like assassinations and child p*rnography. Different people from all over the world explore the dark side of the net for mostly for illegal and immoral purposes.
The dark web users are everywhere, however, there a couple of countries that excel from other countries and regions in terms of dark web users. Want to find out if you are from such a region or country that has a high amount of darknet users? Here are the top 5 countries with the highest darknet users along with their preferred activities.
1- United States
The United States has the current highest count of dark web users. That is of 34.81% that ultimately means a daily user count of roughly 831911. The U.S based darknet users mostly engage in buying and selling drugs, fake documents, malware, and data.
2- Russia
Second, on the list is Russia with the average daily darknet users amounts to 11.46% that accounts for roughly 273844 daily users. Russian users mostly engage in the buying and selling of Exploit Kits, Data Dumps, Cryptolockers, and malware.
3- Germany
Germany has a darknet user count of 7.16% that accounts for 171009 daily users. Darknet users from Germany mostly engage in illegal activities including buying or selling Botnets, credit card information, data dumps, fake documents, and malware.
4- Netherlands
Ranked among one of the most beautiful and travel-friendly countries in the world. The Netherlands has a rich amount of dark web users. An estimated 6.92% of users on the dark web are connected from the Netherlands that ultimately means roughly 165281 users per day. Users from the Netherlands mostly engage in the buying and selling electronics, counterfeit items, narcotics, and guns.
5- France
Last on our top 5 list is France. With a daily darknet user count of 3.29% or 78714 users, French users display interests in p*rnography, stolen goods, and items, electronics, and data dumps.
FAQs
Top dark web statistics
However, that number was increasingly growing, with an average of 2.7 million daily users in April 2023. Germany had the highest daily users of Tor in 2023, taking the top spot from the United States for the first time in years. The U.S. now ranks second, followed by Finland, India, and Russia.
Which country created the dark web? ›
However, the software that popularized the dark web is The Onion Router (Tor), which launched on September 20, 2002. The U.S. government's Naval Research Laboratory developed Tor for members of the U.S. intelligence community to use the Internet without risk of identification.
What is the majority of the dark web? ›
The type of content that has the most popularity on the dark web is illegal p*rnography—more specifically, child p*rnography. About 80% of its web traffic is related to accessing child p*rnography despite it being difficult to find even on the dark web.
What are the most common uses of the dark web? ›
Given its anonymous nature, the dark web is also used for illicit and even illegal purposes. These include the buying and selling of illegal drugs, weapons, passwords, and stolen identities, as well as the trading of illegal p*rnography and other potentially harmful materials.
Who controls the dark web? ›
The dark web is also unregulated, meaning that it is run and upheld by a vast network of individuals around the world. This network contains thousands of volunteers who operate proxy servers to route dark web requests.
What countries use Tor the most? ›
| Characteristic | Share of total users |
|---|
| Germany | 51.27% |
| United States | 13.42% |
| Finland | 2.32% |
| India | 2.25% |
6 more rowsFeb 13, 2024
The 'Dark Web' uses complex systems that anonymise a user's true IP address, making it very difficult to work out which websites a device has visited. It is generally accessed using dedicated software, the best known is called Tor (The Onion Router). Around 2.5 million people use Tor every day.
How do I find out if my information is on the dark web? ›
Here are five ways to find out if your information has been leaked:
- Run a free Dark Web scan. ...
- Sign up for 24/7 Dark Web monitoring. ...
- Check recent data breach notifications. ...
- Look for warning signs that your device has been hacked. ...
- Spot the red flags of identity theft.
Does the Silk Road Still Exist Today? The Silk Road, as it was before being taken down in 2013, no longer exists. However, the dark web is still operating, and most things found on Silk Road are available via various venues. Authorities continue to crack down on illegal operations.
What is bigger than the dark web? ›
The deep web is significantly larger in size than the dark web. In 2001, the deep web was estimated to be 400-550 times larger than even the 'surface web' and its expansion has continued exponentially. On the other hand, the dark web is relatively small, consisting of only a few thousand sites.
Three Common Dark Web Crimes and the Charges Associated With Them
- Dark Web Drug Crimes. Selling drugs through the mail via the Dark Web is an attractive business model because it seems anonymous and free of risk. ...
- Phishing. ...
- Money Laundering. ...
- More about the Dark Web.
Set up your monitoring profile
- On your Android phone or tablet, open the Google One app .
- Under “Dark web report,” tap Set up. Start monitoring.
- To include additional Google Account personal information in your monitoring profile: ...
- Confirm your selections and add any additional data you want to monitor.
- Tap Done.
As of September 2023, Germany had more than 50 percent of Tor users, while the United States ranked second, with around 13 percent. In the meantime, the highest number of those connecting Tor using bridges or non-public servers was registered in Russia.
How do you remove your information from the dark web? ›
Once your data is out and about on the dark web, it's out there for good. The only thing you can do now is damage control and risk mitigation. *Incidentally, there's no central regular internet control agency you can ask to delete your data online.
Who benefits from the dark web? ›
Despite this, there may be legitimate reasons people choose to use the dark web, including political dissidents and those who want to keep certain information private. The TOR network, or the Onion Routing project, is a secure, encrypted protocol that can ensure privacy for data and communications on the web.
Is the dark web 90% of the internet? ›
The deep web includes 90 percent of the internet, while the dark web likely includes less than 0.01 percent.
What percentage of the web is the deep web? ›
The deep web rests below the surface and accounts for approximately 90% of all websites. This would be the part of an iceberg beneath the water, much larger than the surface web. In fact, this hidden web is so large that it's impossible to discover exactly how many pages or websites are active at any one time.
