# Dark Web rapidly vanishing **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [March 9, 2017, 4:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dark-web-rapidly-vanishing/781773 "2017-03-09T16:00:09Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 9\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![aldiboronti](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9fc348/32.png) [@aldiboronti](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aldiboronti)\ **Post date:** [March 9, 2017, 4:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dark-web-rapidly-vanishing/781773/1 "2017-03-09T16:00:09Z")
[Story here.](https://fossbytes.com/dark-web-shrinking-tor-death/) > [@](#): > > Short Bytes: You’ll be surprised to know that the Dark Web has shrunk at a tremendous pace in past few months. The latest OnionScan report mentions a decrease of about 85% in the overall size of Dark Web. Compared to the previously reported 30,000 Dark Web services, today, there are just 4,400 Dark Web services left. This sharp decline can be attributed to the recent hack of Freedom Hosting II and misconfigured hidden services. That’s some shrinkage. Mind you, I could never find anything there anyway, everywhere I tried to go was always down, but should we be concerned if that whole part of the Web disappears? ---
**Author:** ![Lucas\_Jackson](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lucas_jackson/32/303_2.png) [@Lucas\_Jackson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lucas_Jackson)\ **Post date:** [March 9, 2017, 4:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dark-web-rapidly-vanishing/781773/2 "2017-03-09T16:07:00Z")
It was retaliation for hosting child porn services. Some other legit sites got caught in the crossfire but when you play with fire… ---
**Author:** ![Mtgman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b5a626/32.png) [@Mtgman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mtgman)\ **Post date:** [March 9, 2017, 5:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dark-web-rapidly-vanishing/781773/3 "2017-03-09T17:40:36Z")
Other technologies are displacing it. Magnet sites, I2P, etc. The .onion model was punctured severely with some major stings/busts a few years ago and a lot of users lost confidence in its ability to keep them anonymous, so they hopped platforms. I don’t think we’re seeing less “dark” activity, just it’s moved further underground. Enjoy, Steven ---
**Author:** ![muldoonthief](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/muldoonthief/32/3188_2.png) [@muldoonthief](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/muldoonthief)\ **Post date:** [March 9, 2017, 5:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dark-web-rapidly-vanishing/781773/4 "2017-03-09T17:58:51Z")
Where will we be able to get tapeworm infested poop and surplus RPG launchers now? ---
**Author:** ![tim314](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tim314/32/3468_2.png) [@tim314](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tim314)\ **Post date:** [March 9, 2017, 7:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dark-web-rapidly-vanishing/781773/5 "2017-03-09T19:53:21Z")
> [@muldoonthief](#): > > Where will we be able to get tapeworm infested poop and surplus RPG launchers now? Look, I know launching things is fun, and those surplus RPGs were just sitting around unused, but as for the other… remind me to never get involved in a medieval siege-style conflict with you. ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [March 9, 2017, 10:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dark-web-rapidly-vanishing/781773/6 "2017-03-09T22:09:38Z")
[Moderating] Moved from CS to MPSIMS. ---
**Author:** ![gnoitall](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/bb73d2/32.png) [@gnoitall](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gnoitall)\ **Post date:** [March 9, 2017, 10:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dark-web-rapidly-vanishing/781773/7 "2017-03-09T22:41:29Z")
> [@muldoonthief](#): > > Where will we be able to get tapeworm infested poop and surplus RPG launchers now? Combining those makes for the most disgusting weapon I’ve ever heard of. :eek: If banishing the Dark Web keeps us safe from that, I’m all for it. ---
**Author:** ![BigT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bigt/32/12044_2.png) [@BigT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigT)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2017, 12:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dark-web-rapidly-vanishing/781773/8 "2017-03-10T00:12:07Z")
> [@Mtgman](#): > > Other technologies are displacing it. Magnet sites, I2P, etc. The .onion model was punctured severely with some major stings/busts a few years ago and a lot of users lost confidence in its ability to keep them anonymous, so they hopped platforms. > > I don’t think we’re seeing less “dark” activity, just it’s moved further underground. > > Enjoy, > Steven I2P I’ve heard of, but I can’t even find mention of “magnet sites” on Google. My intuition is that it’s some sort of BitTorrent based website where only magnet links exist to read it. But, even if that’s right, I’d like to know more. The tech is interesting to me. Just like TOR was. ---
**Author:** ![aceplace57](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aceplace57/32/3500_2.png) [@aceplace57](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aceplace57)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2017, 12:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dark-web-rapidly-vanishing/781773/9 "2017-03-10T00:22:37Z")
Shrinkage is always a bad thing. 😉 I’ve seen the Magnet option in bit torrent clients. I’ve never understood the difference in a regular torrent and a Magnet. Weren’t many of the dark sites by invite only? Didn’t you have to join a group and then they provided the IP address? I briefly played around with TOR. But never ventured very deep into that world.