dark internet

Or Dark In·ter·net

[dahrk in-ter-net]

noun

1. Also called dark net,. Also called lost net. the portion of the internet that is hidden from search engines and cannot be accessed, as when IP addresses are no longer working.

2. dark web.

Word History and Origins

Origin of dark internet¹

First recorded in 2000–05

Example Sentences

“Clearly, there was a lot of gaming going on, friends that have confirmed that there was kind of that deep, dark internet, Reddit culture and these other dark places of the internet where this person was going deep,” Cox said.

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There are rumors of a Dark Internet where criminals trade fraudulent information and engage in nefarious activities.

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The results of the operation “send one clear message to those hiding on the dark net peddling illegal drugs: There is no dark internet,” Deputy Attorney General Lisa O. Monaco said in a statement.

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As part of the announcement on Tuesday, the Justice Department unsealed indictments against nearly a dozen defendants in California, New York, Tennessee, Virginia and Washington State who were accused of selling illicit goods on the dark internet, money laundering and other crimes.

Read more on New York Times

Ms. Monaco said that investigators had looked for people who had used the dark internet to sell illicit drugs and drugmaking equipment that had helped fuel America’s opioid crisis.

Read more on New York Times