I'm going to open with some background, but I'll get to instructions - pinkie swear.
"Deep web" is distinct from "dark web". The "dark web" is the encrypted network that exists between Tor servers and their clients, whereas the "deep web" is simply the content of databases and other web services that for one reason or another cannot be indexed by conventional search engines.
Here be dragons
Neither the deep web nor the dark web can be indexed, but not all that cannot be indexed is the dark web. For purposes of this question, I assume you want the dark web - that much-hyped, mysterious place that the media would have you believe is a wretched hive of scum and villainy where you'd be well-served to shoot first if you hope to survive. Activists will tell you it's our last, best hope for privacy and free speech, all alone in the night.
As with most things, the truth falls somewhere in between. But you didn't come here for analysis, you came here for instructions. Fair enough.
First of all, if you want anyone who matters to take you seriously, drop the "dark/deep web" thing. What you want to access are sites using the Tor Hidden Service Protocol. It works over regular Tor (anonymity network), but instead of having your traffic routed from your computer and through an onion-like layer of servers, it stays within the Tor network. You won't know exactly what system you're accessing unless they tell you, and they won't know who you are unless they do - or unless one of you is careless.
But given that you're the one starting out and they're the ones running hidden services, they kind of have you at a disadvantage if you screw up. Fortunately, the tales of people having their lives ruined by browsing the wrong sites and being hunted by mafiosi bent on silencing them for having witnessed a mob hit inexplicably streamed online are massively overblown. At most, you might find yourself mercilessly trolled, get pizzas ordered to your door, or if you're particularly unfortunate, get Swatted.
The simplest way to start using Tor is to download the Tor browser bundle (assuming you're on Windows). You can get it at: Tor Browser. You can find installation instructions for Tor on other operating systems on the same page.
Once it's installed and launched, the browser should connect automatically to the Tor network. From there, you can use a directory of certain hidden services to get started. Some of these directories include:
- Hidden Wiki | Tor .onion urls directories
- HiddenWiki Deep Web Links
- The uncensored hidden wiki is up: http://kpvz7kpmcmne52qf.o
nion/wiki/index.php/Main_ Page • /r/TOR
These sites may contain links to illegal services and are provided for informational purposes only. If you're scammed or get yourself into trouble, your recourse against the people you've dealt with is likely to be limited at best.
Stay safe out there.
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