There are even plans for advertising a la Google adwords, according to the developer of Grams, who has been posting announcements about his progress on Reddit.
Listings for guns uncovered by the Grams search engine.Listings for guns uncovered by the Grams search engine.
"I am working on the algorithm so it is a lot like Google's it will have a scoring system based how long the listing has been up, how many transactions, how many good reviews. That way you will see the best listing first," he wrote in one of his posts.
"Within the next two weeks Grams will have a system similar to Google AdWords where vendors can buy keywords and their listings will go to the top of the search results when those keywords are searched for," he wrote in another post. "They will be bordered with an advertisement disclaimer so users know those are paid results."
One more advantage that Grams provides? It helps users locate sites that have gone down -- due to a DDoS attack or other event -- and relaunched under new URLs.
Gramsadmin says he coded the engine on his own, working 14-hour days for the last two weeks, and would love help, though he suspects this will be difficult.
"I have many ideas and features I am trying to implement," he told WIRED. "I would love to hire programmers, but it is very hard to hire a good programmer you can trust and still remain anonymous."
Among the features to be added are profile pages for vendors, to include contact info for the vendor in case a market goes down, and customer reviews of the vendors across multiple markets where they peddle their wares.
"I don't have the capabilities yet to spider all of the darknet, so for now [I'm] working on making an automated site submitter for people to submit their sites and get listed in our search engine," he said. "I will also be making it easier for advertisers to buy ads through an automated system."
The dark web community has been so appreciative of his project, they have already sent out their version of a welcome wagon.
"Grams did get hit by a DDoS attack after the launch of the beta version," he said. "It took us down for a few hours. [But] every major darknet site gets DDoS'd though so I took it as a 'Welcome to the neighborhood' message."
Homepage image: Lisa Roe/Flickr
FAQs
Can you buy firearms on the dark web? ›
Despite its smaller market size, recent studies have estimated the revenue of Dark Web firearm sales to be around $80,000 per month (see also Broadhurst et al., 2021; Paoli et al., 2017), suggesting Dark Web vendors offer a wide-range of firearms, including common handguns and those more challenging to obtain such as ...
Is there a Google for the dark web? ›To access the dark web, you can't use Google Search or browsers, such as Chrome or Safari. Instead, you need to use software designed specifically for this purpose, such as Tor or I2P.
Is it illegal just to look at the dark web? ›While using the dark web may seem suspect on the surface, it is perfectly legal, and there are many legitimate uses of Tor and anonymous browsing.
What weapons are on darknet? ›The most common categories were handguns (70.5%), followed by rifles (10.3%), ammunition (3.7%), submachine guns (1.9%), explosives (1.7%), shotguns (1.6%) and accessories (1.1%). Digital products (5.3%), CBRN (0.64%) and miscellaneous weapons (3.3%) were only listed on omnibus markets.
What is the black market for weapons? ›Black-market firearms include therefore all illegally brokered, traded, diverted or trafficked arms, or those in active criminal, insurgency or terrorist hands, or stockpiled by such groups.
What legal things are on the dark web? ›- Circumvent Government Censorship. ...
- Anonymous Email Services. ...
- Anonymous Collaboration With Journalists. ...
- Visit News Outlets. ...
- Contact the CIA Anonymously. ...
- Access to Academic Research. ...
- Use Ad-Free Search Engines. ...
- Secure Your Cryptocurrency Wallets.
Traffic Analysis:
Another way that agencies can track down users on the TOR network is through traffic analysis. This involves analyzing the flow of data through the TOR network to try and identify the location of the user.
It is not illegal to visit the dark web. But you can face criminal charges if you use the dark web to sell or purchase illegal firearms, drugs, pornography, stolen passwords, hacked credit card account numbers, or other items.
Is DuckDuckGo a dark web browser? ›Is DuckDuckGo a dark web search engine? You can use DuckDuckGo for surface web or dark web searches. However, to use DuckDuckGo for dark web searches, you will need to use it with the Tor Browser.
Can you go to jail for searching the dark web? ›Simply put, no it is not illegal to access the dark web. In fact, some uses are perfectly legal and support the value of the “dark web.” On the dark web, users can seek out three clear benefits from its use: User anonymity.
How long do you go to jail for the dark web? ›
The Dark Web is used to funnel money from illegal activities through anonymous accounts and shell companies. Money Laundering is punishable at the state level by jail time of up to 6 years. A federal charge of money laundering can result in a prison sentence of up to 20 years.
What does the dark web look like? ›Dark web websites look pretty much like any other site, but there are important differences. One is the naming structure. Instead of ending in .com or .co, dark web websites end in .onion.
Does the military use the dark web? ›The 'onion network' architecture of the Dark Web was originally developed by the military. Military, government and law enforcement organizations are still among the main users of the 'hidden Internet' to help monitor illegal activity.
What do hackers sell on the dark web? ›The cost of your information on the dark web
The same research revealed that hackers on dark web forums sell a variety of stolen data, such as: Credit card information for between $17-$120. Online banking account information for about $65. A hacked Facebook priced at $45.
The Dark Web is a complex and dangerous place that should be cautiously approached. While there are legitimate uses for the Dark Web, users must be aware of the risks associated with accessing it. Cybercrime, illegal activities, scams, and malware are just a few of the dangers that users face when using the Dark Web.
Can you sell weapons on the Internet? ›Although it is legal for you to sell guns online, unlike other eCommerce products, you can't ship guns and gun accessories straight to the customer. Instead, you must send the product to a local, licensed firearm dealer or other FFL holder.
Are guns public domain? ›Guns aren't copyrighted work; they're physical objects. It is not illegal to refer to actual guns by name in a creative work. If you want to write about a Brown Bess musket from the early 1800s, knock yourself out. If you want to write about an FN SCAR, AR-15 or HK 416 in a modern book, go right ahead.