Wondering What’s There in all those Mystery Boxes Youtubers are Buying off the Dark Web? - Here’s What...

Anyone who has done even a bit of research on the Dark Web would know the hotbed of secrets it is. You can find anyone and everyone ranging from Silk Road drug dealers to child pornographers on it. It has also served as the ideal space for journalists to carry out under-cover operations and political dissidents to organise movements. However, it isn’t perceived to be the kind of place where you will type in your house address and receive a package like it came from Amazon Prime!

Still, there are some YouTubers who have garnered millions of views by ordering mystery boxes from the dark Web and creating YouTube videos of the un-boxing process. Let’s throw some more light on this unique phenomenon.

What is Dark Web?
A hidden and free-for-all place on the Internet, Dark Web can only be accessed with the help of anonymous browsers such as 12P or Tor. You can buy and sell all kinds of contraband on the platform, including stolen objects, guns, drugs and more. It’s the same place where the WikiLeaks came from as it is quite secure for receiving and sending information. However, Dark Web is largely unavailable to the regular Internet user.

The Dark Web Challenge
Known as the Dark Web challenge, these mystery box unboxing YouTube videos have become extremely popular on you tube in the past couple of years. You get to see YouTubers revealing and unboxing, all kinds of strange items, ranging from clothing, bloodstained screwdrivers, pills, electronic items to toys.

Many a times these YouTubers purchase these packages from eBay, hoping to lay their hands on some expensive or scary stuff inside. But buying such boxes from the Dark Web is considered a more extreme step, which can often be very dangerous.

The danger
Jonathan Pace, a Phd who works with Stanford University told the press about these Dark Web mystery boxes. In his view, these boxes could be filled with fake identities, poorly made weapons or even toxic drugs. In the event that any of the mystery boxes is filled with some leftover inventory, it’s highly likely that the person has received a bottom-of-the-barrel contraband which didn’t sell in the market. Here’s an article which talks about the things that might happen if you spend a lot of time fishing for stuff on the Dark Web.

About the videos
The videos posted on the YouTube as a part of the Dark Web challenge have managed to get millions of reviews. A UK-based YouTuber going by the name Kill’em got over 4.7 million views on the video he created. He later claimed that it was the scariest thing he had ever done. His real name is Tom Stanniland and he has unboxed several packages obtained from the Dark Web. Some of these boxes contained a satanic children’s book, a drug-stuffed teddy bear, a murder weapon (with victim’s clothes), electronics, tools and a voodoo doll.