Since the early 2000s, with the emergence and positioning of TOR as a network, the deep web has grown significantly in size. If we add to this the peculiarity that they are designed precisely to protect anonymity and that a considerable number of them (especially when we talk about the darknet) deal with topics not particularly likely to be of mainstream consumption, it's no surprise to anyone that it's extremely difficult to keep up with a constant and reliable flow of news about the events taking place in these layers of the internet where conventional search engines can't reach.

-

If, like me, you've ever been curious and tried to dig a little into the existence of news sites dedicated exclusively to what happens on the darknet, most likely what you've found as a result are sites on the clearnet or those crappy lists of "best news sites, blah blah blah," which then list .onion versions of the BBC and The New York Times.

For this reason, in this article, we're going to cover a bit of history about darknet news sites, up to those currently operating.

-

In the early days of the darknet, there were obviously no elaborate sites where people could access and read up-to-date news about what was happening in these environments. The closest thing to this was using primitive tools like The Hidden Wiki and forum sites to try to catch up with the latest developments. This changed in 2013 with the emergence of DeepDotWeb. Owned by Tal Prihar and Michael Phan, since its launch until almost the end of the 2010s, this site became a benchmark for staying up-to-date with what was happening, in addition to offering additional services such as reviews of current markets. Unfortunately, their business model didn't please the FBI, and on May 7, 2019, the site was scaled and its admins were charged with conspiracy to commit money laundering.

Then, a new player stepped up in the reporting game.

-

DarkNetLive started its operations in 2018, but it wasn't until DeepDotWeb was taken down that they became the go-to site. Unlike its predecessor, the creators of this site took great care to avoid making the same mistakes that led to DDW's disaster. For this reason (and because they maintained a good OpSec, stay safe), they were able to remain operational until 2024, when they made a successful exit after being acquired by the admin of Incognito Market. After that acquisition, the site was left adrift once the Incognito admin was arrested.

-

Once again, back to square one.

So, what's available at the moment?

-

After multiple searches on various search engines (Tor66, Submarine, Ahmia, Torch, DarkSearch, etc., to name a few), the same results continued to overlap:

• Flashlight 2.0: This site calls itself "An info beam of the Darkweb", and although it's not exclusively dedicated to darknet news, it can be quite useful if you need a quick compilation of news from third-party sources on topics such as cryptocurrencies, cybersecurity, anonymity tools, etc.
• The TOR Times: We're now entering the field of dedicated sites, those that actually publish news exclusively and directly related to the darknet. One of the most appreciated features by users who regularly visit this site is its forum-like comments section, where they generally engage in conversations and/or debates regarding the news initially published and add context, details, etc.
• DarkNetNews: Saving the best for last, we have our own site, which covers a wide range of features beyond news: tutorials and how-tos, market listings and reviews, among others. All of this, combined with actively listening to our readers' opinions, puts us on a fast track to becoming a benchmark in the industry.

---

If you'd like to comment on this publication, make a recommendation, or interact with us in any other way, the doors are open to our subDread /d/DarkNetNews.