14 DAY TRIAL // Seven in ten people who were part of an international survey would like to see the Dark Web shut down, considering it a place for hackers, criminal activity, and illegal marketplaces.
The Dark Web, or Darknet, is a collection of Internet websites that can only be accessed using special software like TOR and I2P, but mostly the former.
But while Tor is generally viewed as a tool for the good, used by political dissidents, journalists, human rights activists, and whistleblowers, the Dark Web, which Tor facilitates access to and helped build, doesn't share this positive image.
According to a new Ipsos poll commissioned by the Centre for International Governance Innovation (CIGI), 71% of respondents in 24 countries would like to see the Dark Web shut down. 36% are strongly in favor of this measure while 35% do somewhat agree with this decision.
For the other respondents, 10% strongly disagree with shutting down the Dark Web while 19% are somewhat in favor of this hidden section of the Internet and would like to see it go on.
Indonesians and Indians hate the Dark Web the most
The countries in which Dark Web is viewed as an agent of evil are Indonesia (85% would like to see it shut down), India (82%), Mexico (80%), China (79%), Egypt (79%), South Africa (77%), Pakistan (76%), France (76%), Great Britain (76%), Brazil (73%), Canada (73%), Australia (72%), the United States (72%), and Turkey (71%).
The parts of the globe where the Dark Web approval rating is smaller than the global average are Tunisia (69%), Italy (68%), Germany (67%), Poland (65%), Japan (63%), Nigeria (62%), Hong Kong (62%), Kenya (61%), South Korea (61%) and Sweden (61%).
This overwhelmingly negative view of the Dark Web can be explained by the many high-profile takedowns of Dark Web portals hosting child pornography. Additionally, the proliferation of Dark Web Bitcoin-based drug and weapons marketplaces hasn't helped its image either.
With almost any ransomware variant that pops up these days redirecting users to a Tor-hosted website, even people who haven't heard of the Silk Road case end up associating the Dark Web with criminal activity.
