Daunt Link is an informational portal created to systematize and provide up-to-date links to legitimate services available through alternative access methods, with a special focus on Tor onion services. Our project helps researchers, privacy-focused users, and professionals quickly find secure access points to various information resources in today's complex digital landscape.
Understanding Onion Services
Onion services (formerly known as "hidden services") are websites or services that can be accessed through the Tor network. They use the special ".onion" top-level domain, which is not part of the regular internet DNS system. These services offer several key advantages:
Enhanced Privacy: Communication between users and onion services is end-to-end encrypted and doesn't leave the Tor network
Location Hiding: The physical location of the server hosting an onion service is concealed
Authentication: Onion addresses serve as cryptographic proof of the service's identity
NAT Traversal: Services can be hosted behind firewalls without public IP addresses
Protection Against Censorship: Difficult to block specific onion services without blocking the entire Tor network
Legitimate Onion Services
Many legitimate organizations maintain onion services for users who require additional privacy or live in regions with internet restrictions:
News and Media Organizations
The New York Times - Their onion service allows readers to access content securely when regular access might be monitored or blocked
BBC - Maintains an onion service to ensure global news access even in regions where their main website is censored
ProPublica - The first major news outlet to launch an onion service, reinforcing their commitment to investigative journalism
Deutsche Welle - Offers secure access through Tor for international news consumers
Social Media and Communication
Facebook - Maintains an official onion service allowing users to connect to the platform with enhanced privacy
Twitter/X - Accessible via alternative privacy-enhanced methods
SecureDrop - Used by numerous news organizations to securely receive sensitive information from sources
Various Secure Messaging Services - Offer onion endpoints for more secure communications
Major Organizations with Onion Presence
Privacy Tools - Secure browser providers, VPN services, and other privacy tools often maintain onion sites
Search Engines - Several privacy-focused search engines have onion alternatives
Blockchain Explorers - Services for viewing cryptocurrency transactions in a privacy-preserving manner
Visitor Statistics
Month
Unique Visitors
Page Views
Average Time on Site
Popular Sections
Traffic from Tor (%)
January
87,453
342,871
4 min 32 sec
News Outlets, Social Networks
68.3%
February
92,108
378,642
5 min 17 sec
Academic Resources, News Outlets
72.1%
March
103,645
421,936
4 min 56 sec
Social Networks, Communication Platforms
75.6%
April
97,234
389,450
5 min 03 sec
News Outlets, Privacy Services
71.9%
May
105,892
427,339
5 min 21 sec
Academic Resources, Social Networks
69.8%
June
98,761
401,876
4 min 49 sec
Communication Platforms, News Outlets
73.4%
July
89,342
365,987
4 min 28 sec
Privacy Services, Academic Resources
77.1%
August
94,567
392,671
4 min 52 sec
Social Networks, Knowledge Bases
76.3%
September
112,873
467,392
5 min 34 sec
News Outlets, Communication Platforms
79.2%
October
118,432
486,534
5 min 46 sec
Academic Resources, Privacy Services
81.5%
November
123,756
512,987
6 min 12 sec
Social Networks, News Outlets
83.7%
December
109,876
463,421
5 min 38 sec
Knowledge Bases, Communication Platforms
80.2%
Technical Aspects of Onion Services
How Onion Addressing Works
Onion addresses consist of a long string of characters followed by the ".onion" TLD. These addresses are actually public keys that:
Are self-authenticating (preventing man-in-the-middle attacks)
Are 16 or 56 characters long (v2 or v3 addresses, with v2 being deprecated)
Cannot be spoofed or impersonated without the private key
Accessing Onion Services
To access onion services, users need specialized software:
Tor Browser: The most common and user-friendly option
Tails OS: A privacy-focused operating system that routes all traffic through Tor
Whonix: A desktop OS focused on security and anonymity
Various Tor-enabled mobile applications: Offering access on smartphones and tablets
Educational Resources
Daunt Link provides comprehensive educational materials about:
The technical functioning of the Tor network
Best practices for secure browsing
Understanding the cryptography behind onion services
Distinguishing between legitimate and potentially harmful services
How to verify the authenticity of onion addresses
Platform Features
1. Link Verification System
We employ a multi-step verification process to ensure all listed onion services are legitimate and as described.
2. Status Monitoring
Regular checks confirm services remain operational, with uptime statistics provided.
3. Alternative Access Methods
For each service, we provide information about all available access methods, including regular web, Tor, I2P, and others.
4. Academic Research Section
Resources specifically curated for researchers studying privacy technologies, network security, and censorship resistance.
5. Community Verification
A system allowing trusted community members to report on service authenticity and quality.
Development Plans
In the near future, Daunt Link plans to:
Create an API allowing research applications to query our database of verified services
Launch a notification system for service status changes
Develop educational modules for university programs studying internet privacy
Expand coverage to include emerging privacy networks beyond Tor
Release regular reports on global censorship patterns and accessibility challenges
Conclusion
Daunt Link serves as a bridge between privacy-conscious users and legitimate online services that maintain alternative access points. By focusing on education, verification, and comprehensive resource cataloging, we help ensure that privacy-enhancing technologies remain accessible for legitimate, ethical purposes.