You've probably never needed to access Twitter or any other website from the dark web. However, Twitter has considered this option and offers its users the ability to access the social network from alternative domains . In today's post, we'll show you all the tools you can use—completely officially—to access Twitter through secondary channels , something that could be useful if you travel to a country where censorship is in place or in the event of an apocalypse. Let's get started.
What is the Dark Web and why would you need it to access Twitter?
The dark web has many names, such as 'Deep Web ,' and you may have heard some outrageous things about this term. We could define the Deep Web as a collection of pages that are not accessible through search engines like Google or Bing, nor can they be found directly by manually entering the URL in a standard browser like Google Chrome or Safari.
Dark web pages use a different protocol than the standard one and are designed to be accessible only with a specific browser that guarantees both user and server anonymity . When we access one of these websites, the browser will have already taken steps to obscure our path by routing us through several proxies.
Since the Dark Web is an anonymous platform, it's not surprising that it's used for illegal purposes. In fact, it's known that organizations like Interpol and the FBI have their own Tor nodes , which have been used on more than one occasion to intercept cybercriminals.
However, the fact that some users misuse the dark web doesn't mean it can't be used for entirely legitimate purposes . The greatest benefit of the Tor network for ordinary users like you and me is circumventing censorship.
There are countries that prohibit access to Twitter and other social media. This is done purely for population control. By preventing individuals from having contact with the outside world, a government can secure its position. The most paradigmatic case is China . Chinese citizens are banned from accessing Twitter. However, in February 2020, when the coronavirus pandemic unleashed chaos in that country, many of its citizens were able to access Twitter and publish videos, images, and information that revealed the government's official version of events to be completely distorted. All these people were able to access Twitter using alternative means such as the Tor network or, in the best-case scenario, a VPN.
However, there are other factors that can prevent you from accessing certain websites. Recently, Russia's invasion of Ukraine led many internet services to target Russian users, limiting their access to certain websites, despite their lack of direct responsibility for the conflict. While it may seem justifiable, censorship is always a scourge, as it stifles freedom of expression. If Russia decides to block access to Twitter—for example—or vice versa, the world will be left in the dark about what is happening within that country, even silencing journalists of various nationalities who are there to report the news. For this reason, Twitter has created a couple of backdoors that allow us to access its services securely in these situations.
What do I need to access Twitter from the Deep Web?
Take note of the following tools.
Tor Browser
This is an open-source browser designed for navigating The Onion Router , the name given to the dark web, because it operates with multiple layers. It's a modified version of Mozilla Firefox developed by the non-profit organization The Onion.
Tor Browser is available for Windows, macOS, Linux, and Android mobile phones. In this second case, you can download it both from Google Play and from online repositories such as F-Droid, which will be useful in case you are in a country that also limits access to the Google store, something that unfortunately is also quite common.
Another very interesting option if you have a computer and will frequently need to circumvent censorship is to use Tails Linux in Live CD mode (we don't recommend installing it on your hard drive). It's a Linux distribution designed for privacy , censorship bypass, and avoiding tracking. The system is completely secure and includes Tor Browser as its default browser . You can create a USB drive with this system and boot your computer with this distribution whenever you need to. Another advantage of Tails is that it leaves no trace on your computer. There won't be a Tor icon on your desktop, and when using it as a Live CD, your search history and all the information you entered into the operating system before publishing it online will disappear the moment you shut down your computer or remove the USB drive from the USB port.
Alternative domains
Once you have the browser installed on your computer, you'll need to access Twitter . But be aware that on the dark web, finding websites isn't as simple as using Google. In fact, Google is blocked when browsing through Tor, so you'll have to use alternatives like DuckDuckGo if you want to use a search engine.
With Tor running, you can access Twitter through its regular domain (i.e., twitter.com). However, if you encounter problems, there's an alternative you can use to access the social network through a Tor network domain . The address you should paste into your browser is the following:
https://twitter3e4tixl4xyajtrzo62zg5vztmjuricljdp2c5kshju4avyoid.onion
On the other hand, there are two other domains with an 'onion' extension that allow access to certain limited features of Twitter in the event that the previous option fails. They are the following addresses:
twitterhbmit57bzbcjnujedrn7uk73geo4ackio4lxdj6t7w6f4zsid.onion
twitterhpgjerufcvrmzerg2novpipy42rk3anvb5b7np4zggm4rwaqd.onion
With all this and a little care , you can post tweets and contact other users of the social network privately, even if you are in a place that prohibits access to the Twitter server.