Comparing the Size of the Internet to the Dark Web: A Closer Look

When discussing the size of the internet in comparison to the dark web, it's important to clear up some common misconceptions. Contrary to popular belief, the clearnet or the regular web is significantly larger than the dark web. This can be confusing, especially given the visual aids like iceberg misinfographics that often misrepresent the scale of the dark web. Let's delve deeper into these concepts and provide a more accurate understanding.

Size of the Clearnet

The term 'clearnet' refers to the publicly accessible internet, also known as the surface web. According to Siteefy's latest figures, as of 2023, there are approximately 1.11 billion websites in the world. This vast number demonstrates the immense size of the clearnet or surface web.

Active websites constitute a smaller subset, with an estimated 202 million active websites out of the total. This further emphasizes the large scale of the clearnet relative to other web portions.

The Dark Web

The dark web, on the other hand, is often associated with mystery and intrigue. However, the reality is that the dark web is much smaller in terms of size. The dark web consists of websites that are accessible only through specific software or configurations such as Tor or I2P. As of December 2020, the estimated number of online onion services on the dark web was about 76,300. It's crucial to note that many of these services are merely copies, and only a fraction of them are actually active.

It's also important to recognize that there are other darknets like I2P and Freenet, which have fewer websites than the Tor network. However, even considering all these darknets together, the total number remains significantly smaller than the clearnet.

Comparing the Deep Web and the Dark Web

Another concept often discussed in this context is the deep web, which is part of the internet that is not indexed by search engines. This includes all the content on the dark web but also vast amounts of content that is only accessible with specific software or requires logging in. Some estimates suggest that the deep web makes up 90% of the internet, with the surface web representing the remaining 10%.

The dark web is a very small portion of the deep web. It's estimated that the dark web accounts for less than 0.01% of the total internet. This is a tiny fraction in comparison to the vastness of the clearnet and the deep web.

Conclusion

In summary, the internet is a vast and complex system, with the clearnet or surface web being the most accessible and largest portion. The dark web, while intriguing, is a much smaller entity, accounting for only a very small fraction of the entire internet. Understanding these differences can help dispel common misconceptions and provide a clearer picture of the internet's various layers.